I Love My...

I Love My Cookie Scoop! 

Some people are against the cookie scoop, but not me.  I love mine.  I use it all the time, most recently for scooping my cake for cake pops.  I should really get another because mine is always in the dishwasher when I need it.  I really like it when things are uniform so the cookie scoop is perfect for me.  Plus, it is so much quicker than scooping with a regular spoon.  And of course, my love of the cookie scoop started with.... cookies!  Everyone has their own chocolate chip cookie recipe they use, and mine comes straight from Betty Crocker herself.  Although my dad might be biased, he says these are his favorite!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Betty Crocker Cookbook
Printable Recipe Here

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup margarine or butter
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1 package chocolate chips

Directions: Mix sugars, butter, shortening, egg and vanilla together.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned on an ungreased cookie sheet about 8-10 minutes. 

Amy's Notes:
My secret to good cookies is this: bake cookies closer to the 8 minute mark or until they just begin to brown, then take them out of the oven--even if they don't look done, they will be.  They will be nice and soft this way, the only way a chocolate chip cookie should be!

Got my scoop ready...

Out of the scoop and onto the cookie sheet

Nice and uniform, just the way I like it!

MmmMmmMmm

I Love My...

I Love My Crock Pot! 

I am convinced that you could put just about anything into a crock pot and it would come out tasting delicious!  And I am also convinced that though crock pot meals taste delicious, they don't usually look very appealing.  My husband has told me many times that the things I cook don't always look good, but they always taste good.  And it's true.  I am blaming part of that on my love of my crock pot.  Most of the recipes I go back to time after time are crock pot recipes.  It is just so convenient to put a few ingredients into a pot and go back a couple hours later to have a delicious dish. 

I have two crock pots.  One that is a normal 4 quart size and one miniature crock pot that is meant for dips, but I actually use the smaller one more frequently!  With just my husband and I, the mini crock pot is usually all we need.  I will use the larger one for big batches of things, but if I am just making a normal dinner, I use the mini crock pot.  The only downfall is that it only has one heat setting. 

I discovered the recipe below on a blog several months ago.  It is easy and very tasty.  You can put it over rice or put it on a roll as a sandwich--both are good.  There is no way you can screw this one up!

Versatile Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients:
1-2 pounds chicken
3/4 a bottle of barbecue sauce
1/2 cup salsa (I usually add about 1 cup)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 small chopped onion

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in crock pot on low for 4 hours (I usually cook it all day on low) or until chicken can be shredded.  Serve over rice or on your favorite rolls.  Top with cheese if desired.