Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do you ever get in the mood for some good chocolate chip cookies but you really just want a few, not a whole batch? That was me today. I searched around and found a small batch recipe but doubled it for mine. This is fun to make with your little ones. My son loved helping me stir. Here is the doubled recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Adapted from Small Batch Baking.

5 T butter (room temp or microwave soft)
4 T brown sugar
4 T granulated sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 cup plus 4 T flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugars, mix in the eggs and vanilla, stir in the dry ingredients, then the chips. Bake at 375 for 8-11 minutes. This made about 15 small to medium-sized cookies.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

My husband got this recipe from a lady at work who was really thoughtful after I had our baby and wasn't able to cook much. After sitting around for a couple years, I finally made it! It was pretty good too and so easy to make. Here are the details....

Ingredients:
Cut up cooked chicken (1 to 2 pounds)
1 large jar cheese whiz
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 packages frozen broccoli
1 small diced onion
1-2 cups of rice

Cook broccoli as on package directions. Cook rice. Mix all the ingredients together. Put in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Parmesan fondue

Last night, I went to a fondue party for my Titus mom's group. They asked me to make a cheese fondue and I found this recipe which looked really good. It ended up tasting even better than it looked. I was told afterwards that my fondue was the favorite among the moms. The consistency was great with bread, not too hard or stringy yet not too mushy or runny. Just the right sponginess is the word I'd use.

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cubed
* 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cubed

Directions
In a large saucepan, cook and stir the milk and cream cheese over low heat until cheese is melted. Be careful so the cheese does not burn. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garlic salt; cook and stir until heated through. Transfer to a fondue pot or mini slow cooker; keep warm. Serve with bread cubes.

Baked Ziti; 3 cheese with chicken

This dish is kind of like macaroni and cheese with chicken but with ziti instead of macaroni. I like the white cheeses in it too.

Ingredients:
1 (16oz) package ziti pasta
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 (8 oz) sour cream
1 (15 oz) ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley
1 1/2 cup mozzarella

Cut up chicken breasts and cook in pan. Cook ziti. Drain and mix chicken, ziti, alfredo and sour cream. Spoon HALF of the pasta/chicken mixture into a 9 x 13 dish. Stir ricotta and next three ingredients; spread over ziti. Spoon remaining ziti over ricotta mixture and then sprinkle the top with mozzarella. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown crust. Enjoy!

Chocolate Elvis Smoothie

Ingredients:
*Milk
*Ice
*Cut up bananas
*Peanut butter
*Chocolate syrup

As far as how much of each ingredient, it's purely up to your taste. You may like yours really "banana-y" or chocolaty, etc. so it's fun to experiment with how much of each. I read that you're always supposed to put the liquid ingredients in first, then the solids. I used the "chop", "blend" and "puree" features on my blender.

YUM! I love this one when I'm craving some chocolate. It's better than a candy bar!

"Mug" Cake *great to make with kids*

I got this recipe from a friend. It is a mini cake that's made in a large coffee mug. It turns out to be similar to a sponge cake since the cake itself is really moist and springy. It says chocolate chips are optional. I used them in mine and I had a bite of a piece without the chips and it was a little bland, so the chips are good to add.

Ingredients:

• 4 T flour
• 4 T sugar
• 2 T cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 T milk
• 3 T oil
• 3 T chocolate chips (optional)
• Small splash of vanilla extract
• 1 large coffee mug microwave safe

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract and mix again. Put mug in microwave and cook for 3 minutes. The cake will rise over the top of the mug but don't be alarmed. Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT!

Beef Broccoli Mushroom Pie

This is another Bisquick recipe and it turned out well. It could use a little extra kick of "something" (maybe garlic) but I couldn't figure out exactly what. Anyways, my husband had seconds so that's always a good sign.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef cooked, drained
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1 (9 oz) box broccoli cuts, thawed
• Sliced mushrooms (we like fresh)
• Salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup Bisquick or baking mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Heat oven to 400. Grease 9' pie plate. In bowl, mix beef, onions, broccoli, mushrooms and spoon into pie plate. In bowl, stir bisquick, milk, sour cream, eggs, salt and pepper until well blended. Pour into pie plate and top with Swiss cheese. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until knife in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before serving.