Fancy Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate chip cookies

ok, before i share this recipe with you i have to address this 365 challenge..i failed...i know, i suck, but really its not my fault! our internet was down for awhile and i wasnt able to upload pictures or even log on to blogger...stupid internet! so you see...totally not my fault.  

anyway, now moving on to the cookies...i pinned this recipe awhile ago and yesterday while i was wishing i had the energy to get up and make something delicious i revisited my Food boad on pinterest and hoped these yummy cookies would pop off the screen and into my tummy..this didnt happen...so, i told myself i must make it, and i tried so hard to talk myself into getting up off the couch but i really just wanted to sit a stare at riley making block houses. then my awesome husband called and said we should make cookies as a family after dinner! i was all for that..so thats what we did...we did modify the recipe a bit, we used all natural peanut butter and added 1/4 cup more flour and i used dark chocolate chips! i love dark chocolate and i think it goes perfectly with sea salt. you must try these cookies...they are awesome! happy baking!-Jess

Fancy Peanut Butter & dark chocolate cookies with sea salt 

(modified recipe..original recipe from monique of ambitiouskitchen.com)

ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 cup all natual peanut butter (the kind you have to stir, if you dont have all natural thats ok, just use 1/4 cup less flour) 

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup organic granulated sugar

1/2 TBSP honey

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBSP sour cream

1 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 

in medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt. set aside. in bowl of stand mixer combine butter and peanut butter, beat with paddle attachment until combined and creamy. add both sugars and cream together until smooth. beat in eggs, honey vanilla and sour cream until combined. add flour mixture and stir until combined, stir in chocolate chips. cover and let chill in freezer for 20 minutes, or place in fridge for up to an hour. preheat oven to 350F. using a small ice cream scoop place balls of dough onto cookie sheet. if you dont have a small ice cream scoop, use hands and roll dough into about 1 inch balls. sprinkle with sea salt and bake for about 12 minutes until lightly golden brown..cookie will still be soft in center but DO NOT over bake (over baking will result in very hard cookie) remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack. let cool and enjoy with some nice cold milk, or ice cream? whatever you like :)   

fancy spinach and artichoke dip: day nine

Riley is serious about this dip!

once upon a time i lived off of kraft food recipes. they were always easy and cheap. and i was single and poor. ha! those days are long gone but there is one recipe that has always stuck with me.. this awesome cheesy spinach and artichoke dip. til this day, i still make it, and often get requests to make it. its not the healthiest of dips, but it sure does beat the store bought stuff. i decided to venture out and revamp this recipe to a "healthier" version. i hope you enjoy it! happy baking! -Jess

Fancy Spinach Artichoke dip
ingredients:
1 (14oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1/2 tsp. salt 

heat oven to 350F. combine all ingredients and mix until combined. spoon into 9 inch pie plate or similar dish. bake for 20-25 minutes until very lightly brown. serve with tortilla chips, crackers, veggies...whatever you fancy! *note: you could also assemble this ahead of time, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. when ready, uncover and bake for an extra 5-10 minutes. enjoy!  

oh and this is my picture of the day... isn't he cute? :) 

365 photo challenge: day seven and eight

yes, i know...i missed a day..but its ok, because really..no one reads this thing anyway! ha!

one: 7/365..new boots. two, three and four: 8/365..riley chases geese, splashing in pond and smiles with mommy (too much sun!) -Jess

Finished project and Fancy Chai : day six

one : new project and chai latte(recipe below). two and three : i finished this hat for riley yesterday and today she tried it out..silly girl.


Chai concentrate
ingredients
4 1/2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
6 bags of chai tea  (or 1/3 cup mulling spice)
3 bags of black tea
1 tsp. orange zest
2/3 cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract 

boil water, turn off heat and all ingredients, let steep for 20 minutes. strain. add half cup concentrate to half cup warm milk, stir and enjoy! you can store in fridge for up to two weeks(but it probably wont last that long) you could also add ice and combine with cold milk for a "iced chai latte"  happy chai making! -Jess

hot chocolate and thank you cards: day five

365 photo challenge: day four

4/365: today kenneth stopped by for a visit..i have not seen him in almost 8 years! so nice to see an old familiar face.

365 photo challenge:day three

this consumed my entire day...new hobby?...i think so. (thanks bev) :)

-Jess

365 photo challenge:day one and two

i decided to try and do a 365 photo challenge..it seems easy enough since i take pictures almost every day. but i think the hardest part will be actually posting them..already i have failed :P

1 and 2: into town for a new years day movie date with my husband! (django unchanged was pretty entertaining, i would recommend it..that is if you dont mind seeming Jamie Foxx in his birthday suit) 
3: winding down on new years day with hot chocolate topped with homemade candycane whipped cream!
4: (todays photo) snack time with Riley