Thanks Bryan...for the hint on the yummy choc chip cookies!

THE BUTLER'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 stick butter, softened but not melted
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tablespoons (yes, tablespoons) vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour (a full cup more than the recipe on the package calls for)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375*

Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients.

The batter will be stiff, and it should be. Just to make sure it is flavorful, you should try some of the dough. But not too much!

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet (preferably a shiny sheet which gives better results).

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly before removing to a wire rack.

Yield: about 5 dozen normal sized cookies or 3 1/2 dozen ginormous cookies.

Nutritional information: Please! This is chocolate chip cookies. Who cares?

Poached Chicken and Vegetables with Couscous

We just love this one...thanks Rachael Ray

Poached Chicken and Vegetables with Couscous

Ingredients

• 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
  
• Salt
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces on an angle
• 1 small to medium onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup instant couscous
• 10 blades chives, snipped or chopped, garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

Season chicken breasts with salt and arrange in a deep, large skillet. Cover chicken with vegetables. Add bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and chicken stock to the pan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, covered. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove bay and thyme sprigs. Remove the chicken breasts and cut into slices. Return chicken slices to the pan and adjust seasoning, to your taste. Put the couscous into a heatproof serving bowl. Ladle 1 1/2 cups of the hot cooking liquid over the couscous, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, season the couscous with salt, and fluff with a fork. Put a scoop of couscous into a serving bowl, top with chicken chunks and vegetables. Cover meat and vegetables with some broth. Garnish each serving with chives and parsley.

Refrigerate or freeze the whole breast pieces for Portuguese Chicken.

Vegetable Soup in a Food Processor

I experimented last night and made a super yummy vegetable soup that is super healthy too! Thought I'd post it for anyone that wants to try it.

Vegetable Soup in a Food Processor

1 large onion
1 Tbsp butter
1 whole green pepper
1-2 cloves garlic
1 handful fresh parsley
3 cups fresh spinach
5-6 whole carrots, peeled
1 large can diced tomatoes
1/2 fresh tomato
1 tsp celery salt or 2 stalks celery
1 Tbsp salt
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups chicken stock
4-5 potatoes
1 can beans (I used white but you could use any kind)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Saute 1/4 onion in butter in deep soup pot on stove top. Add 1/2 cup vegetable stock to onions and bring to boil. In your food processor add all the fresh vegetables and canned tomatoes, except the potatoes and beans. Blend vegetables until all are blended together well...add salt and blend again. (You may have to do this in a couple of blending rounds depending on the size of your food processor.) Add vegetables and stocks to pot and bring to boil. Then allow to simmer on low/medium for 15 minutes. Add potatoes and beans and cook until potatoes are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Moistest Sugar Cookies

This is the best sugar cookie recipe ever...Thought it would be fun for Valentines Day Cookies. The key is to not roll the dough to thin and to use the cream cheese frosting recipe for the frosting...have fun!
Beat:

2 eggs well beaten

1 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Add:

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

4 tsp baking powder

3 1/2 cups flour

Chill dough for 2 hours. Roll out with flour and cut to desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet.Bake at 350 degrees until light brown (8-10 min).

Cream Cheese Frosting recipe

1 cube butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 pkg softened cream cheese

Powdered Sugar

Add enough powdered sugar until reaching desired consistency and taste. Add 1 drop of lemon extract to remove powdered sugar/cream cheese taste.)