Orignal Toll House (Chocolate Chip) Cookies

I had a craving yesterday for really good, chewy chocolate chip cookies. Toll House cookies are my favorite! Do you know the story of how they came to be? This is really interesting....

In 1709 , a toll house was built midway between Boston and New Bedford at Whitman, Mass. Coaches stopped to have refreshment, to change horses and to pay a toll. In 1930, Mrs. Ruth Wakefield and her husband (Mr. Wakefield) converted the house into an inn; it became famous for its food. One day, Mrs. Wakefield chopped up a chocolate bar and added it to a colonial cookie recipe, assuming it would melt. It didn't. Her customers loved the cookies. Nestle introduced chocolate chips in 1939 and, with Mrs. Wakefield's permission, put her recipe on the package.

 NOW you know the story.... and of course, I'm going to share the Toll House Cookie recipe!

I usually double the recipe (I have a Kitchen Aid mixer that will handle all the dough easily!). Make the dough in time to refrigerate it at least a few hours (overnight is best) especially if you like soft, chewy cookies. Since I double the recipe, I use one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and one of Ghiradelli 60% chocolate (dark and dense). Add nuts, if you wish. Either chopped pecans (lightly toasted) or walnuts. You can bake all the dough, or refrigerate the dough and bake cookies over several days (especially if you like soft, warm, gooey cookies), or shape the dough into balls and freeze. Then you can thaw out a few (or just one - seriously?) and bake only that amount. I usually shape the dough with a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon!

Original Toll House Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup butter flavor Crisco
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 (12-oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and Crisco in large bowl of electric mixer; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Combine flour, soda and salt in a small mixing bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture, stirring well.
Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. CHILL.
Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. (If you like really chewy, gooey cookies, slightly underbake.) Cool slightly on cookie sheets; remove to wire racks and cool completely.  Yield: 8 dozen, depending on size!

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

This recipe is "adapted" or borrowed (or stolen) from a couple of sources, which tells me it must be good! I love the flavor combinations, so I believe this is definitely a keeper.You could serve it with pasta tossed with olive oil and lemon juice and roasted or steamed broccoli (as pictured). I'll bet leftovers would make a great panini.

It dawned on me today that I need to get to the garden center for basil and other herbs to grow in pots on my porch/deck. Last summer, I placed a huge pot of basil and one of cilantro in the "flower bed" (I use that term lightly!) by the front door. Either is just a step away from my kitchen. The sage is blooming and growing this year already. I have a HUGE rosemary bush that began as a 4-inch pot several years ago. Even if I don't cook with them, I love the aroma of fresh herbs in the yard and in the kitchen. Sometimes I cut them and put them in a vase on the kitchen counter just to smell them. And usually, that inspires me to cook with them sooner or later!

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

Adapted from Allrecipes and The Girl Who Ate Everything blog

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic (1/2 teaspoon minced)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Place milk and bread crumbs in separate, shallow bowls. Make sure the chicken breasts are thin. Either slice each breast in half horizontally or pound them with a meat mallet to ¼-inch thickness.

Heat butter in a large skillet. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with crumbs. Cook chicken in butter, turning once, until juices run clear (about 10 minutes). Remove and keep warm.

Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds over medium heat. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; stir to loosen browned bits.Stir in cream and sun-dried tomatoes; boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat.  Add Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper. Stir sauce and cook until heated through. For a thicker sauce cook it longer. Serve chicken topped with sauce.

Doesn't this picture bring back memories? Daddy wanted expected dessert after every meal. He would say, "Just a bite of something sweet...." which meant cake, pie or other dessert (or butter, syrup and biscuits). This was one of mama's standby desserts that she could whip up in a flash! One of mama's favorite sayings was "Awww... I could whip that up before breakfast!" (meaning No Problem for her!)

Pineapple Upside- Down Cake is best baked in an iron skillet and eaten warm from the oven while the pineapple is soft, the cake moist and the brown sugar a little crunchy. But, leftovers were never turned down at our house, either! You could easily use a one layer cake mix (Jiffy) for the cake base and bake it in a 2-inch deep cake pan. Or make the cake from scratch. Either way, this old fashion dessert is sure to be a family favorite.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 (8-oz.) can sliced pineapple, drained
9 Maraschino cherries, drained
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour melted butter in bottom of pan. Sprinkle brown sugar over butter and press into butter until sugar is moist. Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar and cherries around pineapple slices.

Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Combine flour and salt; add to egg yolk mixture with water, stirring well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Spoon batter evenly over pineapple slices. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool 30 minutes in pan, then invert pan over a serving dish.



Pineapple Grilled Chicken Thighs

This beautiful warm, spring (summer) like day makes me crave something fresh and light on the grill. Chicken thighs are generally a good buy and easy to grill. I prefer the boneless skinless ones because they cook faster and are easier to eat. Double this recipe and serve leftovers cold the next day. Great picnic food!

There's nothing like the taste of grilled fresh pineapple. Amazing that I grew up eating canned pineapple and tought it was WONDERFUL! Mama and I ate canned pineapple slices with a dab of mayonnaise and shredded Cheddar cheese on a lettuce leaf as salads, cottage cheese with crushed pineapple and pineapple upside down cake! Never knew what I was missing! OK, I'll go look for mama's pineapple upside down cake recipe.  Meanwhile, try this chicken recipe; it's YUMMMY!

Pineapple Grilled Chicken Thighs
1 c. (6-oz. can) pineapple juice
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 large fresh pineapple, cored and sliced 1-in. thick

Combine pineapple juice, lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over chicken thighs in a large zip-loc bag. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and grill over medium heat for 20 minutes. Place pineapple slices on the grill during last 10 minutes of cooking time.

Random Thoughts....

There are some things "bothering" me lately. Maybe it's age. I'm sure when I tell you what they are some of you will shake your head and think I sound like your mother or grandmother. But, here goes...

Why don't families sit down together around a dinner table anymore? That is/was/should be where families share philosophy, dreams, plans, their day, their needs, find solace, comfort, argue and make up. What happened to family dinner tables? And with the loss of the family dinner table, goes communication within a family.

Why doesn't anyone cook? And why are young people seemingly proud of the fact that they don't? And older people (my age), too. I makes me sad as a former Home Ec teacher that this is a lost art. Homemade brownies are now from a box. Seriously? I can taste the preservatives with the first bite. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, do we realize how many additives/preservatives prepared food contains? I find myself apologizing for cooking and liking it! Attitude adjustment time.

Why don't we have time for each other? Time to visit, time to just sit and talk, time to hear dreams, plans, what makes us laugh, what makes us sad, what scares us. Send an e-mail, share it on Facebook, text the person sitting beside you - Seriously? Are we losing the value of social contact? Friends and family. What else is important in life?

What happened to manners? Surely manners are not just an old fashion "Southern thing". I appreciate hearing  'yes ma'am', 'please and thank-you',  having a door held open, having help carrying heavy things, being greeted at the door with a smile and a handshake or hug, getting a handwritten thank-you note. How sad that we are losing genteelness.

What happened to going to church on Sunday as a family? What happened to appreciating the ritual and traditions of the church? What happened to Sunday School for kids and adults, Vaction Bible School and church summer camp? Where are the young families? Where are the school age children?

If you have any words of wisdom (or reassurance) please send me a comment. 

Mojo Marinade for Chicken

I'm all about sharing. This recipe is "shared" from one of my favorite blogs, Barefeet in the Kitchen. Following in the same thought of spring, grilled, fresh, etc foods, this sounded really good to me. Grilling time is almost here... although it looks like our grill is going to have to be replaced. This has been THE year for replacing things around the house! Guess that means we're good for another 10 years? I'll try it with boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot until we make a grill decision.
If you use it for grilling, let me know how it turns out! I'm betting on YUMMMM!


Mojo Marinaderecipe slightly adapted from Tyler Florence by Barefeet in the Kitchen blog

5 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, very finely minced
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, about 3 tablespoons finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust as desired
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, adjust as desired
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the very finely minced garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper. Using a mortar and pestle or your hands, mash together and crush to make a paste. Scrape into a jar and then add the orange and lime juices, vinegar and oil. Shake really well to combine thoroughly. Use as a marinade for beef or chicken. Enjoy!

Spring Berry Salads

Are you as ready as I am for the weather to settle into one season? Goodness! We've had spring, summer, back to late winter and today rain, rain, rain! It's hard to get into a mood to cook when each day brings a new "season"! I'm very much in the mood for salads (and warm weather to enjoy them in!). Here are a couple of berries and greens combos that I clipped out of magazines with good intentions of making. Maybe between all of us we'll get around to trying them. They look and sound yummmy and springlike and a little different. You KNOW I like different. Now, if the pollen will just go away, we'll be ready to grill out!

Romaine, Strawberry and Orange Salad
6 cups torn Romaine
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup drained Mandarin oranges
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (or Vidalia)

Combine ingredients in a large bowl.

Dressing
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Combine in a small bowl and stir with a wire whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan cheese.

This one requires a few more special ingredients, but also sounds yummy!

Berry Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (3-oz.) pkg soft goat cheese
6 cups torn Romaine
2 cups trimmed arugula
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
3/4 cup fresh strawberries

Combine vinegar, buttermilk, honey, mustard, salt, pepper and goat cheese in food processor or blender; process until smooth. Combine remaining ingredients in a large serving bowl. Drizzle dressing over lettuce mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.