Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

The pictures are getting worse, but the food's still good! I kept seeing these cookie dough balls popping up and was trying to figure out how the cookie was getting called "cookie dough". Basically, there is less liquid in the recipe and you make them tall so the middle doesn't get all the way cooked, but they're still safe to eat. I went with The Chic Life's recipe since she made seven different experimental batches (wouldn't you love to be her taste tester??). You get the flavor of cookie dough without the risk of the raw egg. Don't overbake, or you'll be scratching your head at the recipe title when the insides of your cookies look like regular cookies!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 1/3 cup)

Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Cream together sugars and butter.
Add vanilla and egg to butter mixture.
Mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. DO NOT OVERMIX!
Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for at least twenty minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F.
Roll dough into small balls and spread evenly on a baking sheet, about 2-3 inches apart.
Bake dough for about 11 minutes, or until the top still looks like dough and the bottoms are slightly golden brown.
Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve.

2010's Must-Try Recipes

It's almost time for Christmas break!! I feel like it just snuck up on us so fast. Break starts in two days and I am really excited for some relaxing family time!
I was thinking about my favorite things I've made and the things I make again and again while I was on the treadmill the other day (yes, random.) and decided to put a little list together. I know some of my readers hardly ever cook, but like to look at the recipes:), so if that's you, you should at least try some of these! They are all very simple and reliable--I only chose recipes that I've made over and over again! Let me know if you try one!!

Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches

Soy Glazed Sauteed Green Beans

Loaded Potato Soup

Taco Soup

Baked Oatmeal

"Cinnabon" Cinnamon Rolls

Fruity Cinnamon Rolls

Summer Shrimp Sandwiches

Shrimp Pasta with Cilantro Lime Pesto

Steamed Honey-Glazed Carrots

Heavenly Yeast Rolls

Pretzel Bites

Garlic Knots

French Dip Sandwiches

I never thought I was a fan of French dip sandwiches...I mean, who would purposely eat a soggy sandwich? My opinion has forever changed because I absolutely loved these sandwiches. Everything about them was great, from the ease of preparation to the taste and satisfaction factor. Try these out soon!French Dip Sandwiches

from Allrecipes via Macaroni and Cheesecake

Meat is enough to make about 6 sandwiches

2 lb beef chuck roast
1/2 tbsp minced garlic (used 2 cloves)
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tbsp chopped bay leaves
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 cups water

rolls (I agonzied for-ev-er in the bread aisle..mostly because I like to look at bread...and decided on a white braided roll that I crisped up a bit under the broiler with the cheese melting on top of one half..yum!)
provolone cheese slices
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Place meat in crockpot and sprinkle with garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves. Pour soy sauce and water over the meat. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours (I cooked for close to 10, then left on "keep warm" setting and it was great two hours later). Meat should be fork tender.

Combine mayonnaise, parsley, and thyme.
Broil bread with cheese slice on top. Spread one half with mayonnaise, top with meat (I'm sure you know how to assemble a sandwich, right???). Serve with a small bowl of au jus (the juice left in the crockpot) for dipping--that is key to this being SO great!

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

It's been long enough since I posted that my internet history didn't even recognize my site when I was typing it in! Oops! We've been eating the basics like tacos, pizza, and pancakes, and going to some basketball games. Trying to keep the budget low and rope in the calories a little, also! (tacos with ground turkey, WW pizza, WW pancakes, you know...)
This recipe definitely does not fit under calorie control. Each Christmas, we have a faculty lunch and "snack day". Every teacher (over 100 of us!) is supposed to bring a snack to put in the library and there are snacks all day and then a catered fajita bar. I am most looking forward to the fajita bar, but liked the excuse to make a new snack:)
Every year, I make just plain popcorn coated with melted white chocolate, so I was pretty excited to see this recipe on The Rookie Chef! I was so surprised with how great popcorn and mint taste together, too! This is quick and easy to make, but hard not to snack on as you go!
any picture taken after about 5:30 PM is officially even crappier than my pictures normally are...sorry!!

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

2 bags microwave butter popcorn, popped (with unpopped kernels picked out!)

6 oz (1 box) candy canes, crushed
16 oz. white chocolate/white almond bark coating

2 tsp mint extract

3/4 cup chocolate chips



Stir together popcorn and crushed mints.

Melt white chocolate and stir in mint extract.

Pour melted white chocolate over popcorn and mint mixture. Stir (your hands are the best tool here!) until popcorn is coated. Lay out in single layer on parchment or waxed paper.

Melt chocolate chips and put in sandwich baggie with edge clipped off. Drizzle over popcorn. Allow to cool.