Am I Brave Enough?

As I've mentioned in prior posts I try to eat (and cook) only "real" food.  But, sometimes it takes work and courage. Yes, courage!

Saw this recipe: Homemade Junior Mints and thought, "eww what's that all about?"   Here they are:

But to truly make them "real food" I would also need to find the courage to make my own Homemade Chocolate Chips!  Oh my! Not sure I'm up for such a challenge.  

Then I'm stuck thinking, "if I bake cookies again, how can I without making my own chocolate chips?". Ugh! 

Okay,  if I'm going to do this maybe mounds/almond joy recipe is the way to go, my family would enjoy those more than the mint!  

If I find the courage I'll be sure to post, but until then....  my mouth will water at the pictures and I'll just sit in awe at those who have the courage and do it.

So Yummy! Gotta give these a try!

No that is not little bits of mold growing in those cookies! They are mint chips!

I discovered yesterday that Nestle came out with a seasonal Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels! Not sure why it possessed me to buy them (most likely because I hadn't eat lunch before entering the store and they were on sale). But, I bought them and baked these little gems last night! Oh my, oh my, they are just too yummy and I had to share this with you.

If you like "grasshopper" cookies or girl scout's thin mint cookies you're gonna love these! Go out and buy a bag (in fact stock up because they are seasonal and you won't get them again until next year). Make the recipe on the back of the bag "Mint Chocolate Delights", and let me know what you think.

Let me also share with you my secret to getting perfect chocolate chip cookies every time. I use 3 cups of flour not just the 2 1/4 on the recipe. (With these I used all whole wheat, you can't taste any difference.) I also add 1 tsp. of baking powder to the dough.

One last suggestion: Call the 800 number for Nestles on the bag, tell them how much you enjoy them and they will send you some coupons for more!! (Can you guess what I did today? Tah hee hee)

Great Weekend

Great weekend was had with our visitor, tough to let him go this morning, but the world must keep turning.

Here is some of the food I prepared this weekend, because every good visit with friends or family has to include good food!

This and That

In the Oven

Tried a new bagel recipe for whole wheat bagels. They were a big hit! These will be part of the regular bread baking routine for sure!

In the Knitting Bag

Finished the first sock that I started a couple weeks ago. Socks are always on the needles and in the pocket book ready to go. I've only been working on these on the go, so they are taking longer than the usual pair that gets dedicated knitting time.

Casted on a sweater this week. The pattern is Summer's End, that I've had in the queue for some time. Not so sure I like this yarn, but I'm continuing with it regardless. The yarn is Tweed by Plymouth Yarn. A very rustic feel to it. May not have been the best choice for this pattern because it isn't delicate enough. This sweater is for me, and because I'm not the most delicate flower in the bunch, I think it will be a good fit. Will keep you posted!!

Finished the cashmere scarf I started back in January. There may be a cool day this spring I can find an opportunity to try it out. If not, it will work out nice for the fall.

Warm Hearth, Warm Heart

It has been unseasonally cold here in Virginia for November. Well, at least that is what they tell me, it being my first one here. So, maybe that is why I decided to spend the day cooking. A warm oven always warms the house and a heart.

I made: baked beans, apple muffins, 2 pumpkin pies, clam chowder and chocolate chip cookies are finishing as I write. (Everything from scratch.)

Mike and Jake have been out hunting, on and off for the past 4 days, but still only one deer is in the freezer. Those New England bred boys can handle the cold!

I expect to end the day in front of the fireplace, knitting and seeing my family restful with their full bellies. Maybe the boys will bring home another deer to make their day complete.