C is for Cookie

Make these cookies.

Double the recipe and add an extra 1/4 cup of flour.

You will not be disappointed. Unless you don't like chocolate.

But make them especially if you like chocolate. If you do, add one cup of semi sweet chocolate chips and one cup bittersweet.

I recommend eating these cookies with a tall glass of milk.

Oh my.

They are really good.

My problem, and yes it's a problem, is that we're taking these all the way to St. Louis. How am I supposed to sit in a car for eight hours with these cookies taunting me. Oh sure, I'll put them in a bag that will go in the back seat so I don't have to stare at them.

But I'll know that they're back there.

I'll be able to smell them.

I'll be able to sense them.

Seriously, these cookies are that good.

The recipient (one of our former students now at college) may only get crumbs…

To keep that from happening, I put some in a container for her and some in a container for us.

If I share any with Bill.

I know what I'm making for the next cookie swap!

the muffins redeux

I had two bananas left and I bought more flour (that's why I didn't try to make them again the other day, because I had exactly enough flour). This time I measured out the sugar and left the measuring cup where I couldn't miss it.

They seemed to have turned out. I haven't had one yet, it's too late. But I will have one in the morning. I'll let you know how the sugar changes the taste.

One thing is for sure, they are fuller and they look scrumptious.

the chocolate muffins

I just finished reading my BH&G April issue. There is a section on baking muffins and several recipes. One of them is a dark cocoa muffin with banana. I looked through the ingredients and realized I had everything I needed to bake them. Since I am going to visit my parents, I thought they might like to help me eat the chocolate muffins if I made a batch.

I started baking them while Bill talked to his mom for Mother's Day.

I must have been paying more attention to their conversation than my baking.

I got the muffins in the oven and was feeling really good about the whole thing until I looked at the counter and saw the brown sugar sitting there.

Brown sugar that was supposed to go into the muffin mix, but didn't.

Brown sugar that had been sitting there the whole time. Right in front of me.

What could I do? The muffins were already in the oven.

I tried googling it, but apparently Google doesn't know what to do when one forgets to add the sugar.

I decided that they would either turn out okay or not at all and there was nothing I could do until they had finished baking.

It turns out that they turned out okay. I can only surmise that the muffins are relatively tasty because of the cocoa. And it turns out they're healthy since they're sugar free. I do recommend serving them with honey or even ice cream. But they really are okay, just on their own.

Because it told me to

Today I'm thankful for chocolate. But only because the chocolate wrapper told me to give thanks for chocolate. Since it fits my theme for my blog, I decided to say it.

Thanks Dove chocolate for fun little notes inside the wrappers and for a delightful little treat in the middle of the day, or evening, or whenever I need a piece of delectable chocolate.

nutty buttery goodness

I have expressed my fondness for peanut butter in more than one post. I like dipping apple slices in it. I like spreading it on graham crackers with chocolate bars. I like it with chocolate rice cakes. There's a certain peanut butter pie that is pretty tasty. I also like a slice of bread spread with peanut butter and drizzled with honey.

There's one more delicious treat.

There is a company that makes pretzels stuffed with peanut butter. The pretzels are miniature pockets, think pizza pocket shape, they are not your typical pretzel shape. Then, stuffed in the middle, is a chunk of the creamy stuff.

I introduced the youth to them.

I warned the students that these pretzels are addicting.

Of course they had to try them. Then they couldn't stop eating them. It is really difficult to have a few.

You can buy them at Sam's Club. But since I don't have a membership, I found them at Staples. I think Meijer has them too.

You're welcome.

not much really

I started shopping at The Body Shop shortly before we moved to GR. So it's been at least eight years. I have maintained my "Love Your Body" card. This is no small feat. One must purchase a certain amount of product, yearly. Then the card is automatically renewed.

The Body Ship has all the products I like. The peppermint foot spray (very important for mission trips and the summer months), the mineral powder make-up foundation, the chocolate body butter… I like shopping there because they use fair-trade products but also because they aren't constantly changing everything in their store like their competition.

I got Bill hooked on their hemp lotions and their men's line of shaving products.

All of these things are available online.

There were two stores in our area, one in each mall.

Note that I said "were".

I was in there a few weeks ago to stock up on the aforementioned chocolate body butter (it's seriously the best lotion in the winter, not to mention the delicious aroma). Now I'm in need of the mineral powder make-up and when I was at the mall on Saturday I noticed something very strange.

The store was completely closed. No signs, no lights, no products.

Maybe they just moved, I thought.

I came home and checked their store locator and sure enough, there are no stores listed within 25 miles. I broadened my search to 200 miles. The closest store is just east of Lansing and the next closest is South Bend.

I am so sad. How can I try new scents? How is this possible? Why was there no warning? I feel bad for the employees. Did they have any warning?

I liked this store because it seemed less corporate America, but now it reeks of that stench. Why do I want to pay for shipping when I could just run down to the mall?

I emailed them to express my disdain. I hope enough of my friends and fellow shoppers do the same to perhaps persuade them bring back at least one store. Grand Rapids is the second largest city in the state.  They had a very nice reply. But that's not enough.

So I'm not really thankful that the store is closed. Nor am I really that thankful that I have to use the internet to continue shopping with them. Nor am I thankful that I ever got hooked on their products. And I'm not thankful that now I'm in need of make-up that I can't just run out and buy.

This is a huge stretch, but I guess I'm thankful that I live in a country that allows stores to be open, or closed, wherever they want.

You got chocolate in my peanut butter

You got peanut butter in my chocolate.

Do you remember that tagline? It was for Reese's Peanut Butter cups in case you don't remember. (No one is paying me to say their name, however I would accept payment in peanut butter cup form.)

Bill is a huge fan of peanut butter cups. I am a huge fan of chocolate.

Back in the fall we had several chocolate bars in the house. One night, he had the brilliant idea to spread peanut butter onto the chocolate bar. We didn't have any peanut butter cups. This was the next best thing.

I couldn't believe that I had never thought to do that.

Then one day I took it a step further. I like peanut butter on graham crackers. And chocolate bars with roasted marshmallows on graham crackers are also good. Since it's winter and we don't have a usable fireplace, I skipped the marshmallow and put peanut butter and chocolate on the graham cracker.

Did I blog about that?

It was delicious.

I'm always searching for new things to eat for lunch when fresh, local fruit is out of season. Last week, it occurred to me that I like rice cakes. I thought I should buy some plain rice cakes and spread peanut butter on them and then I could have something new for lunch.

Did you know they make chocolate rice cakes? Guess what tastes delicious on chocolate rice cakes?

You guessed it. Peanut butter.

Today I am happy that someone decided to grind up peanuts and give us the spreadable treat we call peanut butter.

All about the numbers

Today is my 999th post.

Wow.

I am a numbers person. I get a kick when the numbers in the checkbook have some kind of pattern. I like catching the clock when it reads 12:13. I watch my odometer on my car too.

This year, my birthday will be 12/13/14.

There will be a party.

Being that this is post #999, I couldn't let it pass without acknowledging it.

That's a lot of writing.

Some of it good, some of it not good.

Hey, I'm not an English major.

The funny part about that fact is that I would probably have the exact same three part-time jobs if I did have an English degree.

On the being thankful note, I am very thankful for peanut butter, chocolate and graham crackers. Put them together (after melting the chocolate very slightly in the toaster oven) and you have a delicious snack. I can't believe I have never thought of that combination before. I like s'mores, but I'm not a fan of a marshmallow that has not been roasted over an open fire. I like peanut butter on graham crackers.

Watch out, it will change your world.

Maybe not, but it really is a great snack. It has every craving; crunchy, chocolatey, salty, sweet, savory… what more could you ask for?

chocolate

I bought a new lotion and it smells like chocolate. It is divine. And it makes me want chocolate all day. I have a sweet tooth, specifically when it comes to chocolate. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I bought the lotion. Apparently I had a desire to drive myself bonkers by wearing a chocolate scented lotion.

It smells so good that a child decided to eat it in the store.

That's according to the clerk. I didn't actually witness it. Nor would I attempt that myself. I witnessed a similar scene when I worked at Bath and Body Works and we sold a pumpkin mask.

It was supposed to be all natural and it smelled very much like pumpkin. The girl who tried it didn't get sick, so that's good.

I don't recommend eating body care products.

But you can smear coffee grounds on your thighs. It's supposed to reduce the cellulite. It can't hurt?

I already smell like chocolate...

Could you choose?

I am making dessert for our Easter dinner with my parents. That sounds easy enough. I love dessert. I love baking. I love trying new things. I had found a dessert that is a chocolate swirl cheesecake. That sounds yummy. I've been wanting to try it for awhile. Here's my chance! But I just stumbled upon this delectable looking dessert and now I'm torn! What to do?

This is a Truffle Tart with Raspberries. Normally, I'm not a fruit in my dessert kind of gal. But I can get on board with the raspberries. The whole thing looks so delicious! I am in a dilemma. What to do? Typically I choose something because maybe I already have half of the ingredients laying around. Not this time. I have parts of both and would need to buy some for each. This is not helping!!!

I love dessert. I love chocolate.