Too Much Perfection?

Too Much Perfection? Not possible when it comes to chocolate chip cookies, but I've been working on it for years.

However, I think I have finally found the recipe that comes as close as I'll ever get. These cookies turned out nice and thick and perfectly brown and soft at the same time. Glorious. And weight-inducing.

Here's the recipe:

•2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
•1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco
•3/4 cup granulated sugar
•1 cup packed brown sugar
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•2 large eggs
•2 cups chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, Crisco, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Once mixed, toss the bowl into the fridge and let it cool until firm. Then preheat the oven to 375° F. Take dough out of fridge and use a tablespoon to spoon out rounded balls of dough onto a greased cookie sheat. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Start eating them while still warm. Stop when they are all gone.

I made this for lunch and it is definitely worth posting!

Enjoy.

For the Salad:
6 Cups Asian Greens Mix
1 Cup Golden Pineapple, large dice
1 Cup Strawberries, quartered
½ Cup Carrots, julienne cut
10 each Mint leaves, torn in pieces
1 Cup Honey-lime Dressing
½ Cup Almonds, sliced, toasted
4 each Lime wedges, quartered
½ Cup Mango Puree
½ Cup Coco Lopez
Pinch to taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Pinch to taste Kosher Salt

For the Dressing:
¼ Cup Honey
¼ Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Canola Oil
¼ Cup Lime juice, fresh
Pinch to taste Kosher Salt
Pinch to taste Freshly Ground black Pepper


Method of preparation:
Mix all ingredients for the salad season with salt and black pepper, mix all ingredients for dressing and add to the salad. Toss well to make sure all salad is coated with dressing.

We've yet another person from our office retiring very soon. Soon as in like a week. Therefore, it is the expectation of everyone else in the office to pitch in way too much money and haul our sorry asses to some strange town to eat at some strange place in celebration of said coworker's retirement. It is a ritual we've endured time and time again and at least we typically get to enjoy a high-priced meal out of the torturous journey.

Last night's retirement party was held at a restaurant in a small down named Poulan. Poulan is famous for its yearly Possum Poke celebration. Whatever the hell that is. Cuz, really, I don't know.

Situated right across the street from the Welcome to Poulan: Home of the Possum Poke sign was the restaurant in which we were to meet, eat, and send our coworker off into retirement bliss.

The name of the restaurant, and I shityounot, was Ed's Truck Stop. Honestly. We held this retirement party at Ed's Truck Stop. But if you didn't know where Ed's Truck Stop was located, you'd drive right past it. Like us and 50 others did before realizing that Ed's Truck Stop was actually labeled Ed's Nascar on the dilapidated metal building. The only indicator that the hellhole was now a restaurant was the wooden sign precariously perched upon the roof that declared "Restaurant".

It was my intention to get pictures, but I have to admit that I was so mortified that I forgot. Completely.

I have to concede to two things about the evening, though:
1. The food was awesome. I had fried chicken, fries, and homemade mac & cheese. If I nearly died of anything it was starch & fat overload, because it definitely wasn't from the expected food poisoning that I didn't get. Seriously. Great food.

2. The food was cheap. For three of us our bill was $16.80, which included a 20% tip.


Moral of the story: If you want surprisingly good, cheap food... head to Ed's.

I made this recipe Monday, after I saw it on Bakerella's Blog. It is her recipe, I've simply five-fingered it off her site. But it is good! So good, I felt it was worth coming out of my hiatus for.

So here it is:


Lemon Bars
Crust:
1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar (plus more for dusting)

Topping:
1 1/2 cup plain sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour a 9 X 13 pan

To make crust:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and confectioner's sugar
Cut in butter until combined and crumbly.
Press mixture into bottom of pan.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

To make topping:
While crust is baking, prepare topping.
In a larger bowl, add sugar, flour, and baking powder.
Then add slightly beaten eggs and lemon juice.
Mix well and pour on top of warm baked crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar and refrigerate.
Cut into bars and enjoy them cold!

The other day, I purchased a good bottle of Riesling. When I say good, I mean it cost more than five bucks. In other words, it wasn't no Boone's Farm or anything. But for the life of me I cannot recall what it was.

But I digress... as usual.

Once the wutz was in bed, DH and I decided that a nice glass of wine was in order and well deserved, so off we went into the kitchen to pluck down two wine glasses and fetch the bottle of Riesling and open it with the corkscrew.

Corkscrew?

Where is the corkscrew? No, seriously, honey... where'd you put the corkscrew?

Hellloooo? Corkscrewwwwww?! Where are you?

Nope. It was not to be found.

I know it was there the other day. The thing is, items alway seem to go missing in the exact frame of time when I actually need them.

I needed that damned glass of wine.

We then proceeded to get a little creative with our wine opening skills. We enlisted the help of a metal skewer, two army knives (minus the corkscrews, who doesn't put a corkscrew on an Army knife??), the stem of a cake mixer, a set of channel locks, and a pair of needle nose pliers.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, worked.

By then a good half hour had passed and I was in dire need of me some wine. So I did what any desperate wino would do. I drove the cork into the wine bottle and we both finally enjoyed a nice glass of cork-enhanced Riesling.

I made Pioneer Woman's Macaroni and Cheese recipe last night for dinner. DH and I loved it. Loved it. I definitely recommend it.

However, the wutz didn't like it. Apparently, it just doesn't rank up there with the Scooby Doo mac-n-powdercheese. Typical.

1. Why is it that the time it takes to get my food at lunch is in direct correlation to how late I am running?

2. A cheeseburger order that calls for only ketchup does not mean extra ketchup. Really. It doesn't.

3. If said cheeseburger order is not done so with such a request, is it really necessary to slop on six pounds of mayonnaise? Not only is it terrible for you, that much of anything is just gross.

4. Tomatoes should be red. Red, people. Not green (unless fried!) and definitely not white. Red.

5. Why is it called Fast Food? It definitely isn't fast and I'm quite certain it isn't really food, either. I mean, the only thing that can survive longer than a McDonald's cheeseburger is probably a cockroach. And even a roach wouldn't eat the Happy Meal to survive.

I know I've touched on it briefly, but I love to bake. I cannot cook worth a bloody damn but when it comes to baking, I am all over it. I have a few recipes posted on my blog and someday I'll get around to posting more.

My latest creation was sprinkles cookies, as the wutz calls them. They turned out very well, if I do say so myself. And I don't even LIKE sugar cookies. I was able to tweak the recipe I found and make it mine. When I get a chance I'll post it!

But today, via Cake Wrecks, I stumbled across a baking blog that is really great. It's called Bakerella. It'll definitely be going into my blogroll.

Check it out.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
102 g box instant vanilla pudding mix (must be instant!)
2 tbsp milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix butter, shortening and sugars until creamy. Stir in pudding mix and milk, then eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda; mix until batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop batter on non-stick cookie sheets with a tablespoon. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Yes, this is the real deal. Everyone needs this recipe!

Buttercream Icing:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioner's sugar (approximately 1 lb.) sifted
2 Tablespoons milk


Directions
Cream shortening and butter with your mixer.

Add vanilla extract.

Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.

When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.

Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use.

Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks.

Rewhip before using.


For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

These are smack-your-granny-good!

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs well beaten
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups oats (we use Quaker Quick or Old Fashioned. Do NOT use instant.)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (use 1/2 cup if using raisins)
1 cup raisins (optional)
Or you can substitute walnuts or raisins for chocolate or toffee chips

Directions:
1 Cream shortening and sugars, add eggs and vanilla and beat well.

2 Sift flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to first mixture and mix well. Add raisins and nuts or whatever you are adding. Add oats last.

3 Spoon out by rounded tablespoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350°F. Bake for about 12 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

It ranks right up there with patience. Of which I have none.

I did very well for a couple of years. My consumption of junk food was a bare minimum at best. Then I got pregnant. That sweet tooth of mine came back with a vengence. And though the wutz is 2 1/2, that sweet tooth still remains.

I have no will power to stop myself, either. My relationship with the bathroom scale remained at an uneasy friendship until I stopped breastfeeding. Now I've nothing but love for chocolate and loathing for the scale.

Yeah, I can still fit into my prepregnancy jeans, but nothing is the same. And I know I know if I could suck it up and rid my life of the constant influx of sugar consumption, I'd be able to do much much better.

But I can't! Those cookies... those cakes... those brownies... they sing to me and it is the sweetest (pun intended) sound I've ever heard. Dammit.


And yes, this post was typed with the taste of homemade chocolate chip cookie still on my tongue. ~sigh~

This weekend I stepped on the scale and the number that appeared was not one that I wished to see. In the matter of a few days, I'd suddenly jumped up to that dreaded weight that I'd told myself if I reached it, I'd immediately begin dieting.

But wait!

I've been on prednisone for 5 weeks. Couldn't that cause the weight gain, I reasoned.

Yes, yes. That has to be it, I convinced myself. I decided I'd keep a close eye on it to see if it fluctuated further over the following days.

Then yesterday I stepped on the scale again. As I peered down, waiting for that digital declaration, it dawned on me that I was standing on the scale...



(wait for it...)



...while holding a homemade chocolate chip cookie.



Now, I'm not sure if that means I have food issues. Or weight issues.


I'm gonna guess both.

Caramelized Garlic Chicken

* 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 T oil
* 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
1. Sprinkle the salt and pepper onto the chicken.
2. In a medium to large sized skillet (I like cast iron) heat the oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking.
3. Add the chicken breasts and garlic to the pan and brown the first side of chicken, about 5 minutes.
4. Flip the chicken and brown the other side, about 3 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the brown sugar to the pan.
6. Allow the sugar to melt about half way and add the cream.
7. Bring to a bubble and add chicken back to pan
8. Simmer for 3-5 minutes and serve over butter egg noodles or rice.
9. Enjoy!

Since a few of you seemed to really love the idea of this salad. I thought I’d post a picture that I managed to dig up [read: steal] a Weight Watchers picture of said salad.





Take time to sneak a peek at other tasty 1974 WW recipies at: http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards/rosyperfection.html

My summer indulgence is now Swingtown. I didn’t hold much hope for the show, but I find myself rather enjoying it. Unfortunately, it co-stars the same woman from the summer flop Windfall that got cancelled two years ago. I hope that isn’t a bad omen. I like her as the sexy siren of a nextdoor neighbor.

In Thursday’s episode, Janet (the former neighbor) wrote a recipe for Rosy Perfection Salad on Susan’s dining room wall. I’d never heard of Rosy Perfection. Google corrected that for me. I was able to locate someone else’s blog that posted the recipe.

Here is the recipe from a 1974 Weight Watcher’s card:

Rosy Perfection Salad

1 Envelope Unflavored Gelatin
1-1/4 c Water
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 c Vinegar
1/2 t Salt (or to taste)
2 c Finely Shredded Red Cabbage
1 c Chopped Celery
1 jar mandarin oranges, drained and chopped

In medium saucepan, soften gelatin in 2 tablespoons of the water; let stand 1 minute. Add rest of water and, over low heat, cook until gelatin dissolves. Add sugar, vinegar and salt; stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until partially set. Fold in remaining ingredients and chill 3 hours or overnight. Note: With the single envelope of gelatin and the loads of veggies, I think Janet likely improved on this salad’s tastiness a bit but, from the image, lost the molded form (a blessing). Serve it at your next 70s or Vintage Weight Watchers party.

Recipe from: http://www.channelguidemagblog.com/index.php/2008/06/20/swingtown-longing-shame-and-that-rosy-perfection-recipe/