Posts Tagged ‘recipes’

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bliss

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

The smell of peanut butter cookies wafting out of my oven is pure simple bliss to me.  Baking up warm bundles of sugary yum is one of my favorite past times.  I do it when I’m happy, when it’s cold outside, when I’m craving some sense of home, I pretty much do it anytime because it brings me joy.

I adapted this Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite sources for yummy goodness!  No they are not low in fat.  Just bake them, eat them and en

joy them.  Just don’t eat them all in one sitting!

These are serious bliss.  They’re crisp on the outside, and almost cakey on the inside. Bake ‘um up and hide half in the freezer to eat the following week.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy Jif peanut butter at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (for sprinkling) sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Place sprinkling sugar on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets (I use a Pampered Chef stone ware slab), leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crissscross pattern, but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

It’s A BLOG Party!

Sunday, March 9th, 2008

This LOVE YOUR LIFE blog and my other website are chock-full of coaching exercises, inspiration, embarrassing stories, and helpful information just for moms and women (although men can learn a thing or two here) to help them create a LIFE they LOVE!

This week is the Ultimate Blog Party at 5 minutes for Mom.
Ultimate Blog Party 2008
My friend, Fatty, inventor of the award-winning toy RC Color Bug, told me about it. How will I celebrate? I will be making my daughter’s favorite cinnamon rolls today. Here is the recipe… Now go check out the rest of the BIG party!

All is calm… destressing in the holiday season by baking cinnamon rolls!

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007

The holiday season tends to bring up a myriad of emotions for people — a mixture of happy and sometimes sad memories surface. Many are trying to find ways to cope in the height of the dysfunctional family season. I found that baking, yoga, hot baths, this fun game, and a good bottle of wine can help! (you just can’t do them all at the same time)

As I ease into the season, I tend to bake breads and desserts a lot more. My excessive baking could have something to do with the fact that when December in Arizona rolls around it is finally not hotter than an oven. And I begin making up for all the baking I couldn’t do in the summer.

I notice the ritual of kneading dough and tenderly shaping cookies brings a calm and peace over me. Baking or making anything from scratch forces me to slow down and reconnect with all my senses. It is tradition in my family to have fresh homemade cinnamon rolls ready for Santa and Christmas morning breakfast.

In case you need a new stress reliever or you love a good homemade cinnamon roll, here is my old family recipe:

Cinnamon Rolls

Mix together:
6 cups of flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of butter

In a separate bowl, dissolve 1 package of yeast in 2 1/2 cups of warm water. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture. Work it together and knead into a ball. Grease a large mixing bowl with butter and place dough inside, cover and leave in a warm place to rise until double in size.

Divide dough into 2 balls. Roll one ball to 1/4 inch thick. Spread with one stick of butter. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon generously all over dough. Roll tightly into a log. Cut into 2 inch sections. Place cut rolls into greased baking pans (I use stoneware). Do the same with the other ball of dough. Let rolls rise until double.

Bake at 375 degress for 20 minutes. Place a foil tent over rolls at the end of baking time if they are getting too brown. Let cool 5 – 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Serve warm.

Healthy School Lunch HELP

Wednesday, August 8th, 2007


Next week my kids go back to school (HURRAY! oh, did I say that out loud?) One of my biggest struggles is packing healthy lunches that my kids will actually eat.

In my quest for lunch ideas, I found these sites full of ideas that help families pack better lunches, be healthier, and save money.

Remember to pack lunches the night before to eliminate last-minute stress

The Back to School Schedule: How I keep my sanity

Thursday, August 2nd, 2007

Ok. The bottom line on keeping some sanity when school starts is to create a schedule for the kids. Implement a schedule 2 weeks before schools starts to ease the transition and whining.

Here is my schedule for a school day:

5:30 am- Wake up, Workout (a run, weights at the gym or a free internet yoga class), Shower
7:00 am -Wake up kids, supervise kids getting dressed, making beds, brushing teeth and hair.
7:30 am -Supervise kids making their own breakfast, help where needed, eat breakfast as a family.
8:15 am -Drive or walk kids to school

8:30 am – 3:30 pm Work, run errands and clean and manage the household, prep dinner

3:30 – 6:00 pm- Pickup kids, serve a kid-friendly healthy snack, supervise homework (set up a homework station), drive kids to after school activities, cook dinner

6:00 – 8:00 pm Eat dinner as a family, clean up dinner and make lunches for next day, kids take showers, lay out clothes for the next day, read, say nightly prayers with kids

8:00 – 10:00 pm – Read, watch tv, catch-up on emails and work, and go to bed

That is my basic schedule I try to keep during the school year. The key is to be consistent and get the kids to help as much as possible. If you need more tips on organizing for the family, check out this organizing workshop that I will be teaching with Suzanne on September 6.