Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my go-to recipe, and we're pretty big fans of chocolate chip cookies around here. This recipe makes about 60 cookies depending on the size. If you don't want that many, this recipe can easily be halved.

4 sticks of softened butter (one pound)
2 cups of packed brown sugar
2 cups of white sugar
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons vanilla
2 cups of quick oats
2 tsp of salt
2 tsp of baking soda
2 tsp of baking powder
5 cups of flour (this is what I normally put in. Flour is something I always just put in until it feels right. Basically you don't want your cookies to spread.)
3 cups of chocolate chips


Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients and chocolate chips last. Bake at 350 for about ten minutes. For some reason cookies are always better is the dough has been in the freezer or refrigerator. I make these cookies into balls and freeze them so I always have cookies in my freezer.

Best Brownies

1 1/4 cups butter (2 1/2 sticks)

1 cup white sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

5 eggs room temperature

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2/3 cup and 2 T cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

Melt butter in saucepan or microwave.  Add sugars and stir off the heat. Add three eggs and stir in then two more eggs and vanilla. Do not overmix. Mix cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture with a wooden spoon. Do not over mix. Bake in a 9x 13 greased pan for 30 minutes.

Heather's Almond Pound Cake

1 1/2 c. softened butter

3 c. cake flour

3 c. sugar

1 c. milk

1 tsp vanilla

5 eggs, room temperature

2-4 tsp. almond flavoring

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter.  Add sugar and cream for ten minutes. Add eggs one at a time.  Add flour a little at a time.  Add milk, vanilla, almond flavoring, baking powder and salt. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan or bread pans. Put into a cold oven and set temperature to 325.  Bake for one hour 15 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.  Try this with strawberry shortcake, or for a variation sure with mango puree, lime zest and whipped cream.  Fancy and yummy!

Taco Meat

I have been searching for the best taco filling that is easy and the tastiest.  I combined a few recipes and found the perfect taco meat for tacos, salads, you name it. It is just the right amount of spice for kids!

One onion, chopped

3 Tablespoons of garlic

1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey or beef.  I use the ground turkey from Costco that come in a 4-pack.

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

3 Tablespoons of cumin

1 tsp of chili powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 cups of beef broth

1 small can of tomato paste

In a 12-inch saute pan, brown ground turkey or beef with the onion and garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder. When the meat is browned all the rest of the ingredients and cook to a simmer.  Let it simmer over the stove until most of the liquid is gone. That's all there is to it!  It makes enough that we can even freeze some.

Meal Plan Mondays

Thursday, September 1st:Baked Southwest egg rolls
Friday, September 2nd: Pizza
Saturday, September 3rd: London Broil and grilled veggies
Sunday, September 4th: Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken

Monday, September 5th: Labor Day Picnic
Tuesday, September 6th: Grilled Greek Chicken and Hummus wraps
Wednesday, September 7th:Teriyaki Chicken Salad with Pineapple Sesame Dressing
Thursday, September 8th: Chicken Parmesan Roll ups
Friday, September 9th: Scout dinner taking Buckaroo Beans
Saturday, September 10th: Beef and Broccoli
Sunday, September 11th: Hawaiian Haystacks

Meal Plan Mondays

Monday, August 31st: Orange Chicken
Tuesday, September 1st: Skillet Ziti
Wednesday, September 2nd: Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Thursday, September 3rd: Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
Friday, September 4th: Pizza
Saturday, September 5th: Panang Curry
Sunday, September 6th: Herbed Lemon Garlic Chicken Skewers

Monday, September 7th: Italian Meatball Sliders
Tuesday, September 8th: Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Wednesday, September 9th: Sloppy Joes
Thursday, September 10th: Creamy Chicken Soup
Friday, September 11th:Pizza
Saturday, September 12th: Brisket with BBQ sauce
Sunday, September 13th: Roasted Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Our Favorite Stir Fry

The best thing about this recipe is you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. I also love that there isn't a huge amount of sugar.  If you like more sauce, then you'll need to double the ingredients starting with the broth and ending with cornstarch. My kids like a lot of sauce for the rice, so we usually double it.

2 Tablespoons oil.  I always use coconut oil.

6 cloves of minced garlic.  I always use the garlic from Costco in a jar.

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 bunch of chopped green onions (optional.  sometimes I don't have them so I leave them out.  You can also just throw in regular onions.)

1 tsp. salt

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips.

1 red bell pepper cut into strips

1-2 cups of peeled and cut carrots.

1-2 cups of broccoli cut into small pieces.

You can really add any veggies you want and as much as you want.

1 cup chicken broth

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons sugar, sometimes I use half white and half brown

2 Tablespoons cornstarch.

Heat oil in  wok or large non-stick skillet.  When it is hot, add 2 cloves of garlic, ginger and green onions and salt.  Stir about two minutes then add the chicken and cook until opaque. Add remaining 4 cloves of garlic and stir.  Add all the veggies and 1/2 cup of broth, stir and cover.

In a small bowl mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of broth, soy sauce, sugar and corn starch. When the broccoli is bright green, add the sauce and stir until thickened.  Serve immediately with rice.