Lemon Blueberry Cookies

• Cakey Version:
• 2 ½ cups All Purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 3 tbs lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
OR
Chewy Version:
• 1 ¾ cups All Purpose flour
• 1 cups bread flour (can use AP flour, but won't be as chewy)
• 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1-2 large lemons)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 ½ cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a medium-sized bowl mix together the flour(s), baking soda, (baking powder if making the cakey version) and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat both kids of sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg(s), beat until very well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and sour cream, mix until well combined.
4. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients, stir until just combined. Gently stir in the blueberries.
5. Using a cookie scoop, scoop golf ball sized mounds onto a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper (if making cakey version, chill for 20-30 minutes prior to baking or they will spread too much. Chewy version does not need to be chilled).
6. Bake at 350 for 12-16 minutes or until the top just starts to turn a very light golden brown.
7. immediately slide the parchment onto the counter, allow the cookies to cool to room temperature.

Summer Salad

I made this for dinner last night. It's the perfect amount of food for a light summer meal, you can adjust it to the right size for one person or fifty people, and its delicious. Did I mention how easy it is to make?

one head Romaine lettuce
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup blue cheese
2 chicken breasts
1 cup chopped walnuts
raspberry vinaigrette

Cook chicken in olive oil with salt and pepper in a large stainless steel skillet until cooked all the way through, and golden brown on the outside. Shred. Roughly chop the lettuce, slice the strawberries and place in a large salad bowl. Add the blueberries and the walnuts. Add chicken and stir gently. Toss in the blue cheese and vinaigrette.

I didn't get to have the vinaigrette on the salad, because I am, unfortunately, allergic to raspberries. You can also change things up a little. You can use grapes, dried cranberries, or any other fruit that pairs well with chicken.

Mac 'n' Cheese

I love mac and cheese. I love it almost as I love chocolate and peanut butter. I finally perfected my recipe for it. The secret is the sauce. It's almost like a gravy, but more...saucy.

1 box pasta
1 lb ground sausage*
4 slices bacon
1 1/2 TBSP flour
1 cup whole milk**
salt
pepper
dried parsley
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese***
3 slices bread
1/4 cup yellow mustard

Cook pasta according to package directions. Cook sausage om high heat until barely pink, then finish cooking on medium. Cut bacon into small pieces. Remove sausage, leaving as much grease in the pan as possible. Put bacon in the same pan and fry as you would normally fry bacon. Remove cooked bacon and put flour in the grease that you left in the pan. When flour and grease are thoroughly mixed, pour in milk. Use a whisk to incorporate flour and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste and throw in a healthy dose of parsley. Add 1 1/2 cups of cheese and whisk briskly. Lightly toast bread and tear into small pieces. If you haven't drained you're cooked pasta, now would probably be a good time to do so. Mix cheese sauce and pasta together. Add sausage and mustard. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle bread pieces and bacon on top. Cover with remaining cheese. Broil in oven, on low, for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted, and slightly bubbly.

Well, you have just successfully made every kid's favourite meal. Congratulations! Now stop looking at it and eat it.

*I use Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage. It has just the right amount of flavour that makes the mac and cheese perfect.
**I never use any other milk besides whole milk. Skim milk, 2%, not milk. It's white water with vague milk flavouring.
***Cheese. Why would anyone ever want to eat low fat or cheese made with 2% milk. And not Velveeta or American either. Pure Wisconsin cheese is good, and so is anything that's not low fat, Velveeta or American.

Peanut Butter Cookies

One of my favourite sweet combos is chocolate and peanut butter. I am a hardcore Reese's Peanut Butter Cup fan. I will fight you over the last one. Peanut butter cookies, on the other hand, are not my favourite cookies. But I had an idea that changed the way I saw peanut butter cookies. I know people have already done this, but I really liked the way mine came out.

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
chocolate chips*

Combine butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt until thick. Drop onto cookies sheets by the tablespoonful. Press 3 chocolate chips into each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for15-20 minutes. Let stand on baking sheet for 1 minutes. Remove to cooling racks for about 2-5 minutes. Serve with milk, just because you can.

*The sugar, flour and chocolate chips are the same as what I used in the Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies. I also use them in any other recipes that calls for them.

Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies

It's amazing what you can come up with when you're bored of the same old things all the time. Chocolate chip cookies. Always a classic. But sometimes, change is a really good thing.

1 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed*
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cup flour**
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips***
1/2 cup dried tart cherries

Mix butter and sugars until well combined. Add vanilla (I never measure vanilla, but usually the amount I put in adds up to 2 teaspoons). Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt, until thick. Fold in chocolate chips and cherries.**** Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes. I find that 10 minutes usually does the trick. Let the cookies cool for about a minute on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack.

*I use 1 1/2 cups of turbinado sugar instead of brown and white sugar. It actually has a better taste than regular sugar. I tend to lean towards the brand Zulka, found in the Hispanic foods aisle of Walmart. And it's cheaper than other turbinado sugars.
**Unbleached flour is lighter than the ordinary bleached flour. It's better for you and also tasted better in most recipes.
***I use Ghiradelli 60% Cacao bittersweet chips. It's a stronger chocolate, but the chips are about the same size as the dried cherries.

****I usually just press the chocolate chips and cherries into the tops of the cookies, instead of folding them in. It prevents the chocolate chips from melting through the bottom of the cookies. Meaning, less mess to clean up.

Eggnong

I made this over Christmas break last year. The first time I made it, I scorched it and it tasted like vanilla pudding with a little cinnamon flavor added to it. The second time I made it...it was like heaven in a glass!


15 eggs
4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
4 cups whipping cream
4 cups milk


Whip the sugar, grass-fed eggs and milk together on high speed for about 15 minutes. Heat slowly to 140 degrees (no more) on stove, stirring constantly. Cool and add spices and whipped cream. Beat together until foamy. Chill and Serve.

Life Changing Egg Sandwich

I had the most amazing egg sandwich for breakfast the other day. I know what you're thinking. "Fry an egg. Put it in between two peices of mayoed bread. What's so amazing about that?"
I'll tell you what's so amazing. You start making it like an omelette. Then you put bread on top of the raw side of the cooking omlette. Then you flip it, fold it and eat it.

Recipe of the day:

2 eggs
chopped red onion
chopped fresh parsley
chopped green chili that can only be found in India
salt
4 pieces of white bread
pepper

Whip the eggs with the onion, parsley, chili and salt. pour it into the frying pan that you greased and heated when you started reading this recipe. take the four pieces of bread and dip them in the runny part of the egg and place the part you dipped facing up. Wait for a few seconds and flip the entire thing over. It takes skill. Sprinkle the top with pepper. Wait a minute. Fold the entire thing in half, then in half again. Take it out of the pan and eat it.

It will change your life.