Picture Perfect

Everyone keeps asking for recent pictures of our little family. Since I deleted my Myspace and Facebook (my life has been a lot more drama free) but no one has been able to keep tabs on the little guys. Here's just a few somewhat recent pictures of us, enjoy!

Double Trouble

Jude & Madden are two times the fun..two times the love....and TWO times the trouble!

Two times the fun/love:



We can't take our eyes off of them for more than a minute without them getting into some sort of mischief. They usually go opposite directions to maximize their trouble-but this particular time Daddy stepped out of site so they went the same direction to explore the world.

Exploration: Sitting in Dual Kitchen Sinks/Two Times the Trouble:




One final example of double trouble-the great escape (they didn't make it out..that time):

Day 2

My friend Liz and I were emailing today, and she suggested maybe it wasn't my recipe I was using, but rather my technique. We weren't sure, so Liz googled it, and found it's probably a combination of both technique AND recipe. The doll that she is, she found the following, which I plan on testing out tonight.


The Puffy Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies

1 cup butter-flavored shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Hardware:
Ice cream scooper (#20 disher, to be exact)
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Mixer

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the shortening, sugar, and brown sugar in the mixer's work bowl, and cream until light and fluffy. In the meantime, sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
Add the eggs 1 at a time to the creamed mixture. Then add vanilla. Increase the speed until thoroughly incorporated.
With the mixer set to low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the shortening and combine well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough. Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 per sheet. Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown and puffy, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool and store in an airtight-container.

Source(s):

FoodNetwork

A Dozen Days of Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today is Day 1.

I cannot for the LIFE of me make a PERFECT chocolate chip cookie. I have tried cold dough, I have tried margarine, I have tried heat up/heat down, I have tried different cookies sheets, I have tried Crisco, I have tried different racks, I have tried different EVERYTHING-I have yet to perfect them.

Every time they flatten out. It is not that they taste bad-they taste fine. But I want them to taste GREAT..AMAZING..“THE BEST HE’S EVER HAD”…..

I just cannot get a cute, fluffy little NORMAL looking chocolate chip cookie. But I will. If it’s the last thing that I do.

So now I shall keep track of my efforts.

Today-I tried a new recipe. The Pillsbury Flour Recipe for the “Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie”. It was not the “Ultimate” by any means. The only difference from the Tollhouse recipe was one less egg. It did not do the trick. They are flat. Nonetheless, they are tasty and being devoured here at the O. Tonight-onto recipe number 2 (on day number 1). Ridiculous? No. Ambitious? Yes.

Ingredients:

3/4	cup Crisco® Butter Shortening
OR	3/4 stick Crisco® Butter Shortening Sticks
1 1/4	cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2	tablespoons milk
1	tablespoon vanilla extract
1	large egg
1 3/4	cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1	teaspoon salt
3/4	teaspoon baking soda
1 (6 oz.)	package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
1	cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Preparation Directions:

1.	HEAT oven to 375ºF.
2.	COMBINE shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
3.	DROP by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
4.	BAKE 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.