The sun... It burns!

   I think today is the first day I actually got up and out of bed since Wednesday. Apparently, on Tuesday, I caught some kind of cold or something because I have not felt human since. All of my family is down for the count actually. Today though, I got out of bed, put some "real clothes" on since pajamas don't apparently count anymore, and did some yard work. That was... not pleasant. A lawnmower, combined with a massive headache adds up to a very not fun afternoon. Oh, and I also baked some more cookies. I know that I promised a recipe Tuesday but I got dragged out to go clubbing after the Mardi Gras celebration. And... I just haven't felt up to looking at a bright laptop screen since then. Right now, Eucalyptus tea is my best friend.

   But I made up some cookies to bring to the parade Tuesday and they were gone within seconds. The recipes I used were pretty basic and just taken off the packages but, I like to tweak them to fit my needs.

  My first recipe is from the back of the Nestle Toll House milk chocolate chips package.

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
•  1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (1 1/2) teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Milk Chocolate Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. 

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

   So that's the recipe with my variations done in RED. To me, the extra vanilla just gives it a slight edge and the cinnamon gives it a small kick that sends it over the edge and into deliciousness. I personally hate putting nuts in baked goods but if you like it then go for it. I also do not use a tablespoon to measure out my cookies. I have a cookie scoop like this one http://www.walmart.com/ip/Oneida-Trigger-Cookie-Scoop/15149534 that works perfectly. I love it so much and regret no t buying one sooner.

  My other recipe is off of the back of the Reese's Peanut Butter Chips package and my only variant is, I save some of my cookie dough from the chocolate chip recipe above (without the chocolate chips mixed in!) and incorporate it into this recipe. It gives the cookies a buttery flavor that I think is absolutely great and I think it adds dimension to what is already a great cookie. So here is that recipe, again, my variations in red.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup of Nestle Toll House Choclate Chip Cookie dough without chips

1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside.

2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 9 (13) minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly (5 minutes); remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4-1/2 dozen cookies.

   I found that cooking them for only 9 minutes left the centers of the cookies a bit... doughy. At 13 minutes, they came out just fine. Some did tend to stick to the pan where the chips were but other than that, the recipe is great. I really loved making these and getting cocoa powder all over my kitchen.

   And as my headache gets worse, I find myself drifting off topic then going back and erasing lines that honestly make no sense at all. Forgive me bloggers but I think I will go make myself some tea and then lie down.

  I hope that if any of you try the recipes out that you enjoy them! I know I did. Maybe a little too much.

For the insomniacs

   I finally have a chance to update! Sure it's 2 in the morning and I can't sleep but I finally have a minute! The past week has been absolutely mad! It's Mardi Gras/ Carnivale time here and boy, do these Cajuns use every excuse for a party! This is my first time attending any Mardi Gras events so my amazing friends have been dragging me out to every possible parade, concert, dance or social event available. You know you're having fun when the rain is pouring down on you and you're getting smacked in the face with plastic beads but you don't care because everyone is laughing and spirits are high. I am having such a great time. I also had my very first king cake (cinnamon apple cream cheese!!) made by this adorable little bakery on some random back road. It was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted!!! Needless to say, I love Mardi Gras and everything that comes with it!

   I have been going to the gym for a week again and was looking into buying some equipment for home. Has anyone else been unsettled by the fact that, in almost all the home gym ads, the people using the equipment are incredibly fit? Just once, I'd like to see an overweight person with sweat pouring down their forehead but really pushing hard on the machine. I know that the companies are trying to say, "This is the body you could have if you just did our 10 minute workout 3 times a week!" That just seems so danged unrealistic to me and I can't stand it. I don't know why but it irritates me to bits. On the bright side, I've lost a couple more pounds. I'm almost at the 20 mark!!! Woohoo!

   I promise, I will get that cupcake recipe up soon. Maybe I'll post it with tomorrow's update. I'm making some amazing cookies to take to the last parade of the season and will definitely post my recipe. Meanwhile,  as I make empty promises, y'all can enjoy some pictures from this week.

There's my dog Luna (a great dane) all dressed up for the doggie parade.

One of the floats at a smaller (not really small, just not "the big one") parade.

I woke up at 6 a.m. to that wonderful peaceful moment right before the sun rises and had to snap a picture in my backyard.

Another reason this week rocked!!! My new Harry Potter books came in the mail! They're all about how the films were made with some input from the actors. They're so awesome and I just love them. Of course, I'm obsessed with HP so this just feeds my addiction.

   So, that's what's been going on lately. I promise, recipes tomorrow. I will be baking in the morning and will update while the sweets are in the oven!

Home.

Hey y'all! I just wanted to update (now that I can finally catch my breath). Mom is out of the hospital now.

She had a heart attack on Sunday in the afternoon. They took her in and put three stints in her heart. They said her aorta to her legs was blocked. So they had to go through that. She had a breathing tube put in and was sedated to keep her comfortable.

She woke up Tuesday after getting the tube out craving a Lemon Grape slush from Sonic Drive-In. Her doctor gave her the green light on that. So she's changed flavors every day. Rootbeer, Diet cherry limade, sprite zero with lime.

She was released from the hospital today and came home then crawled into bed and curled up with her dog. So needless to say she's feeling much better.

I just am so happy to have her home. New recipe tomorrow! For cupcakes :D And now that I've left with you that... Goodnight!