big, fat, chewy chocolate chip cookies

my girlfriend "c" had been raving, non-stop, about her favorite new cookie recipe. when i realized she was baking up a batch nearly every single day, i decided i needed to whip some up for myself, & they definitely did not disappoint. if you want a cookie that is big, fat & chewy, just like something you'd buy at a fancy bakery, then this cookie is for you.

big, fat, chewy chocolate chip cookies
ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, "c" suggests you do 1 1/1 cups all-purpose flour & 1/2 cup whole wheat or oat flour (for oat flour simply grind up oatmeal in your blender)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, MELTED
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tb. vanilla extract
1 egg (room temperature)
1 egg yolk (room temperature)
2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

directions:
1. sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl & set aside
2. in a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.
3. beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy.
4. mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.
5. stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
6. chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 45-2 hours (to counteract the melted butter)
6. preheat oven to 325 degrees
7. drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto cookies sheet, cookie sheet should be 3 inches apart (i did 9 cookies per pan)
8. bake for 13-15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown. this is the key! they might still seem gooey in the middle, but just let them cool on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes before transferring them & they will be perfect. (trust me, i'm speaking from experience, i overcooked my first batch.)

makes 18-20 cookies

now grab a big glass of milk & enjoy. oh! & you might want to double the recipe, because they go fast!

currently loving...

i spotted THIS print on decor8 & fell in love immediately.

i'm starting to develop a complex.

yes, i realize that i just had a baby. yes, i realize that she was my third baby. yes, i realize that my body isn't just going to bounce back. these are all truths that i've accepted. however, i'm starting to develop just a bit of a complex, courtesy of my four year old gavin. case, or rather, cases in point...

* the day after i had charlie, the boys came to visit me in the hospital. at one point, i got up out of bed & immediately gavin said "oh good mom! you're almost skinny again."
* recently i bribed my kids with the promise of mickey d's happy meals (yes, i am that mom). we were waiting in the drive thru, when gavin randomly announced "mom, you can't eat mcdonald's. it will make you fat." funny thing is, he doesn't think the rule applies to him.
* just yesterday, gavin was giving the babysitter a tour of our house. when he got to our office, where my bike is set up on the trainer, gavin told her "& this is the bike my mom has to ride to make her skinnier."

if this keeps up, & gavin continues to be more concerned (than i am) about how skinny i am, i don't know if i'll have the nerve to get into a bathing suit this summer. personally, i've been pretty thrilled with my recovery, but gavin's got me doubting myself. oh heavens!

drumroll please...

shout it from the roof tops, tell your friends, invite your neighbors, send an email, post it on your blog. anything & everything that will get the word out. i want EVERYONE in the world knows about the third annual favorite things swap. i hope you are as excited as i am! here are all the particulars...

it's really quite simple: as a participant, you will be asked to choose at least three objects (i don't think anyone would mind if you decide to send more) that are some of YOUR favorite things to send to your partner... maybe it's an apron you made, your new favorite book, or that favorite flavor of lip gloss. be creative & most importantly have fun with it! objects can be new or vintage, bought or handmade... just remember, it is best to send something the you'd be pleased & excited to receive yourself.

ready to join the fun? please e-mail your particulars to accordingtokelly@gmail.com. sign-ups will be open until friday, july 3rd... so get your friends involved! upon receiving your "rsvp" i will send out a confirmation email, if you don't hear from me, email me again, sometime emails can get lost & i don't want anyone left out in the cold! so here's what i need from you:

• your name.
• mailing address.
• email address.
• website / blog
(must be involved with at least one of these).
• a little something about yourself.
• please indicate if you are willing to ship internationally.
swap partners will be emailed to you shortly after the sign-up deadline. the delivery date for this swap is Friday, July 31st... please have it postmarked by then.

once you receive your package, be sure to post photos here, for everyone to enjoy! if you have any questions/ comments, just drop me a line at: accordingtokelly@gmail.com

i'm so excited! i can't wait. i hope you are too!

the secret is the yogurt.

jeffy's favorite new breakfast recipe, is one i came across, courtesy of the 43rd pillsbury bake-off. you know the recipe is a winner when hours later, the hubby is still talking about how good breakfast was. (i really should point out that jeffy isn't a big breakfast-y kind of guy. i might love thinnies, french toast & german pancakes, but jeffy prefers his breakfasts to be a little less eggy.) & i guess the boys liked it too, because the licked their plates clean, literally.

orange-almond breakfast bake
rolls:
1 egg
1/4 cup yoplait original 99% fat free orange creme yogurt
1 can pillsbury refrigerated orange flavor sweet rolls with icing

sauce:
icing from can of sweet rolls
2 tb butter
1 tb orange juice
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup smucker's sweet orange marmalade
1/4 cup sliced almonds

1. heat over to 400 degrees. spray the bottom of a 9x13" dish.
2. in a small bowl, beat egg with fork or wire whisk, stir in yogurt until smooth.
3. unroll dough on cutting board. set icing aside. cut each strip in half, crosswise. dip each strip completely in egg mixture, then twist 2 or 3 times, & place in baking dish. bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
4. meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat icing, butter, orange juice, almond extrat & marmalade to boiling over medium heat. reduce heat to medium-low, cook 2 - 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened & shiny. remove from heat, stir in almonds.
5. loosen rolls from baking dish with spatula. drizzle with sauce, serve immediately.