A little of Me

Today is the actual day of my one year blog anniversary.  I thought I would share a few things about myself, for laughs of course.  

• My most recent embarrassing moment was just last week.  I was having lunch in the mall food court with my kids and sister, Cherie.  Out of no where some one comes up behind me and grabs me (It was Bre, but I didn't know it).  I screamed out loud and my voiced echoed off the cement floor of the mall.  There were quite a few stares.  
• I have lived in all three states on the west coast.
• I don't like seafood, and I grew up on an island.
• I make a mean homemade pizza.
• It is a guarantee that if I sweep the floor something will be spilled with in a half hour.  If I mop it will be milk.
• I enjoy cleaning and house work.  However, I am not very good at folding the laundry and putting it away.  I think it's just easier to rummage through piles and iron as you need it. :)
• I have owned a convertible.
• My favorite color is orange.  I have several beloved items in this color including a massage table.
• I love a dance party.
• My biggest fear is falling down cement stairs and knocking out my front teeth.
• The first blog I ever read was How About Orange.  I blog stalked for a long time before I started my own.  It mostly took me a long time to get started because I couldn't decided on a url and blog name.
• In high school I lettered in bowling.  My highest score was 105.  Haha!
• My favorite holiday is Halloween.  

• Chocolate is probably my biggest weakness.  

  After Davis was born, I was determined to get skinny.  Not everyone looses weight nursing!  I tired not to have goodies in the house so as to not be tempted.  

In my weakest moment for chocolate I became desperate for anything remotely close to junk food.

I took a spoonful of peanut butter and drizzled chocolate syrup all over it.  It took care of the craving, but wasn't that great.  I have since learned my lesson and always keep a cabinet stocked with a dentist worst nightmare, lots of sugary treats and chocolate.

Today I am sharing a recipe for Chunky Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies.

These taste way better than a spoonful of peanut butter covered in chocolate syrup.

This recipe comes from this cookbook.  We have changed it a little, my changes are italicized on the side.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour     If you live over 3,000 feet, like me, use 1 1/2 cups.
1/2 tsp baking soda     I use 1/8 less than 1/2 tsp because of my elevation.
1/2 tsp salt      We like to use kosher salt.
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened    I use unsalted butter.  If you use the microwave to soften your butter/margarine, don't over do it.  Melted butter changes the consistency of  your dough.
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter     I use a heaping 1/2 cup of chunky peanut butter.  I never bake with natural peanut butter because I think you need the extra oil and fat.  If you try it with natural, let me know how it goes.  
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups (12 ounces) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate morsels     I use a heaping cup of bittersweet chocolate chunks.  That makes it more of a peanut butter cookies with a little chocolate.  If bittersweet is too dark for you use semi-sweet.  I think milk chocolate is way too sweet for this.
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

1. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.  
2. Beat butter, peanut butter, brown and white sugar in a large bowl until creamy.  Add egg and vanilla.
3. Gradually add in flour mixture.
4. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoon full onto ungreased baking sheets.  The recipe says to slightly flatten the cookies, but we don't.
6. Bake in preheated 375* oven, we set our oven to 385* because of the elevation.
7. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until edges are set but centers are still soft.  We lightly drop the pan on the stove to make the cookies fall.  This is what we do to replace flattening them before hand.
8. Let stand on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes; remove to cool on wire rack.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

*I am quirky and don't like to get too many cookies sheets dirty.  I cool the pan in between sets by holding the pan with an oven mitt and running cold water over the back side of the baking sheet.  Then dry it off and pile the dough on again.  Be careful, the sides will still be hot.

Now grab a glass of milk and enjoy your cookies.

Check back tomorrow to see what I made while my sewing machine is in the shop!