Chocolate Chip Cookies


Chocolate chip cookies

What’s so special about these chocolate chip cookies?  You will have to make a batch to find out.  I have on file 4 or maybe 5 different chocolate chip cookie recipes that I like to use depending on how and why I’m making them;  crispy , chewy, chocolaty, etc…  But the one recipe that I tend to make again and again is a variation of the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated Magazine {January/February 1996}. This is also the one my kids requested the most.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

{print recipe, here}

Ingredients
4 ¼  cups unsifted bleached all-purpose flour
½  teaspoon salt
1  teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
2  cups dark brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3  large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
4  teaspoons vanilla extract
2-2½  cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1.  Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2.  Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl and set aside.
3.  In a large bowl, mix melted butter and sugars until thoroughly blended.  Mix in eggs, yolk and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients; mix until combined.  Stir in chips.

 Chocolate chip cookies4.   Use an ice cream scoop to form cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Place formed dough onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart and 12 dough balls per cookie sheet.

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Chocolate chip cookies5.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.  The center of the cookies will still be soft and puffy {see image}.  Transfer the cookie sheet with the soft cookies still on it to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest for about 10 minutes.  They will be firm and cool enough to be taken off the cookie sheet.

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Chocolate chip cookies

Without having said a word, I had three eager volunteers in the kitchen.  One by one they came to help; Caleb was the first, then Grace and Hannah came just in time to mix in the chocolate chips.  This recipe can easily be made by hand or a mixer.

Chocolate chip cookies

enjoy!    

{print recipe, here}

 


 

posted by: Kay

8 comments

Father’s Day Craft Project & Gift Ideas

Father's Day bulletin board

Instead of a Father’s Day card this year, why not give him a personalized mini bulletin board.  Take a basic 81/2″ by 11″ card stock paper and print the Father’s Day template {HERE} and fill it with special messages and pictures to give Dad.

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Father's Day craft project

 Here are the finished mini bulletin boards my kids made for Father’s Day.

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Father's Day mini bulletin boardsPrint Father’s Day template {HERE}

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Father's Day gift ideas, Best Made-3

 In addition, here are some wonderful Father’s day gift ideas from the company,
Best Made.

 images/sources:   1. The Annin American Flag  ⎜  2. Courage Badge  ⎜  3. Heavy Waxed Cruiser   ⎜  4. The Precision Folding Ruler  ⎜  5. The Lensatic Cruiser Compass   ⎜  6. Front Loading Toolbox   ⎜  7. Axes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

credit/sources craft project:    bulletin board background tecture, Tim Jones  ⎜   paper graphics, incompetech  ⎜  small star graphics, Mel Stampz

{free printable for personal use only}

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posted by: Kay

0 comments

{Pinterest} Add Custom ‘Pin It’ Button to Images

Pin it Screen Shot sample buttons #1,2,3,4 w994 x 675-5

Yes, make your own “Pin it” button.  Another way to add a personal touch to your Website. When a viewer hovers over an image, it will change slightly and a “Pin It” button appears {i.e. near the top right corner}.  I have tried a few other Plugins and attempted to change the codes on the others before I discovered this plugin by Marcin Skrzpiez for WordPress.   It was surprisingly easy to install and customize.  Follow the next few steps and a new custom “Pin it” button will be up and running.

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Steps to install the plugin {WordPress.org}

custom pin it button

Go  to your WordPress Dashboard > Plugins >  Add New >  type the following name in Search field,  “jQuery Pin it Button For Images”  by Marcin Skrzpiec >  Click Install and Activate the plugin >  Refresh your website to see the new “Pin it” button >  Done {if you don’t want to customize the “Pin it” button}.

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Steps to Customize the “Pin it” button & More …

Pin it  settings

Go to your WordPress Dashboard > Settings > JQuery Pin it Button For Images > check the box, “Use custom image” > click “Upload an image using media library”.

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Pin it Media library

 select an image from Media Library or Upload Files from your computer {to be stored in your Media Library}> click the button “Use as ‘Pin it’ button” > Save Changes > Refresh computer screen > Done.

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Have fun trying out the other options in Settings {i.e. where to place the “Pin it” button, transparency of the image when you hover over it and when to disable the button}.

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          Custom “Pin it” Buttons

Try one of these simple “Pin it” buttons I created for you to use.  They are free, just grab it and store the image on your computer then upload it to your website (step ).

red Pin it button blue Pin it button green Pin it button gray Pin it button
pink Pin it button banner lt blut Pin it button banner yellow Pin it button banner gray Pin it button banner

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posted by: Bill & Kay

8 comments

ORVIS “Free” Fly Fishing Lessons

Orvis, fly fishing flies

It’s time to go fishing, take the whole family, an early Father’s Day outing, learn something new! Whatever the reason may be, come and join other people across America and learn how to fly fish.  Orvis stores across the country have been offering free fly fishing classes on the weekends.  These classes will be ending in the next few weeks. There is still time left to participate and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity {Click Here to find the store nearest you and register}.  This is open to all ages, beginners and all skill levels of fly fishing.  All equipment and supplies will be provided by Orvis.  Just sign up and show up for the class.

Orvis, fly fishing 101

I finished the class a few weeks ago with six friends at the Orvis store in Denver, Colorado. The Orvis staff was outstanding.  They were very knowledgeable, experienced, and knew all the material extremely well.  The group was made up of people with little knowledge of fly fishing to people like me that have been enjoying this since childhood.  We had a great time learning casting techniques, understanding the rod, reel and line relationship, knots, and selecting flies.  In a few weeks my friends are heading back out for the “201 class” and fishing a local river (there will be a small fee to attend the “201 class”)  It was a great experience, and I recommend it to all.

 

{video not playing, click Here}

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Soon I will be attending another fly fishing “101 class” with my kids at the Orvis store in Bellevue, Washington.  It will be a fun day with them.  The last time we did any fly fishing together was back in 2009.  Definitely time to get back and do more fly fishing as a family.

Fly Fishing lessons

Go and give it a try!
{to register and find the nearest ORVIS store, Click Here}

images & sources: dry flies, Orvis  ⎜  Orvis fly fishing 101 & video

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posted by: Bill                   0

0 comments

Gardening & Entertaining Outdoors

gardening & entertaining

 

Gathered a few favorites things for entertaining and gardening this summer.   It’s nice to add a twist to the basics that’s unexpected like the “Cape Cod birdhouse” painted in a pale mint color and soft blue hose that should be on display.  I am eyeing the citronella candle in the square container.  What about you?

1.garden tote, West Elm    2.Heritage garden hose, Terrain   3.Cape Cod birdhouse, Terrain   4.matches butterfly brocade cylinder, Boutique Theo   5.happy boat, Design Lemonade   6.Washi bandages, Pretty Strips   7.Galvanized square citronella pot, Crate and Barrel   8.garden labels, Paulova Ceramics   9.metallic coil terrarium, Anthropologie   10.garden tags, free printables White Gunpowder  11.Gumboots Toile clog, Hard to Find

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flower / herb garden{English Bluebells}

flower / herb garden{Strawberry flowers}

flower / herb garden{chives}

A wonderful time to enjoy the garden and the beauty that can only can be observed early in the morning.  It was about 6:30am when I decided to take a stroll through the garden as the sun started to peak through the cool, misty air.  I came back around the second time with my camera and took these pictures with the dew still clinging to the leaves and flowers.

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posted by: Kay               4

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