Jana's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I challenge anyone to find a better chocolate chip cookie recipe than this one. I've searched far and wide and this one is the clear favorite. It came from a student of Dave's and we thank her for it every time we use it. Not literally, just in our thoughts. I usually use the large milk chocolate chips, but the picture shows them with mini M&M's, which were fun as well.

2 cups + 2 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbs butter, melted and cooled until just warm
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2tsp vanilla
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and stir until mixed well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir. Add chocolate chips and drop onto cookie sheets (I line them with parchment paper -- worth the investment, if you ask me) and bake 15-18 minutes. Half way through the baking time, rotate your trays top to bottom, back to front for even baking. I take them out before they brown on the edges and let them sit on the pan for 2 or 3 minutes before putting them on the cooling rack because I like them soft and chewy.

Taco Soup

I love this recipe, especially on a cold day. We like to sprinkle with cheese and stir in a little sour cream. It's best when scooped with Fritos.;)

Use a big crock pot because it makes it easier to stir. You can also prepare 2 cups of dry beans yourself if you choose. This stuff freezes really excellently.

2 cloves garlic, minced
Onion to taste, minced
1-1 1/2 lb ground burger (I use turkey and it's delish)
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes (I use the ones with green chiles 'cuz I like a little pep)
4 15 oz cans beans, any combo, drained but not rinsed (I usually use black, light red kidney,
chick peas, and pinto)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing mix

Brown onion and garlic in skillet with a little olive oil. Then add burger and cook, smashing it into the size of pieces you want to eat.;) Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hrs. Easy peezy, rice and cheesy... or soup and cheesy.

S'mores Bars

This delicious recipe comes from my sister-in-law, who got it from allrecipes.com, I think. The recipe calls for 5 Hershey's bars, but I use a bag of milk chocolate chips because that's what I usually have on hand. Enjoy!

1/2 C butter, softened
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 C flour
3/4 C crushed graham crackers (about 4 full-sized ones)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 bag milk chocolate chips
3 C mini marshmallows

Heat oven to 350. Grease an 8 x 8 pan. (They are easier to cut if you line your pan with foil and then spray it. You can pick them right out of the pan and set them on a cutting board so the corners and edges are easier to cut.) Beat butter and sugar together. Then add the egg and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add this to the butter mixture until combined and crumbly. Press 1/2 of the dough into the pan. (I usually do about 2/3 of the dough in the pan, as I like more cookie underneath.;) Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips and marshmallows over the top. Crumble remaining dough over marshmallows and bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until the marshmallows are golden brown. So very very yummy.