WDW - Refrigerator Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Warning:  this post contains information that you may wish you had never heard.   It makes eating fresh hot cookies dangerously easy.  If you continue to read, please realize you do so at your own risk.  You have been warned.

Hey!  You're not still here, are you?  Uh-oh...

 

Have you ever just craved a warm chocolate chip cookie but didn't want to take the time/effort to make them?

Or, have you ever wished you could have fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies when you have guests over? 

Or, could you be one of "those people" who happen to like finding a bowl of cookie dough in the fridge???  (of course, I'm not.)

Well, the answer is this recipe!  You can make the dough for these cookies up to 2 weeks in advance.  All you do is scoop dough directly out of the fridge and bake for 9-11 minutes.   VOILA!  Fresh, hot cookies.  And not to mention perfect, ooey-gooey ones, too.  I was amazed at how good these turned out.  You can make one, two, or ten! Who knew you could do this?

The funny thing is, this is just the basic Toll House recipe, with an extra 1/4 cup flour added in. 

Recently, we had a family over for dinner.  After dinner, I took 2 minutes to scoop out some cookie dough.  In about 10 short minutes the house smelled amazing and I was serving fresh from the oven cookies.  They were a hit!

I'm planning to make these for a dessert bar at a baby shower next week.  Imagine the yummy aroma when my guests arrive! And wait until they see that the cookies are still warm.

And by the way, if you don't use a cookie scoop to make cookies, you are really missing out!  Uniform cookies, lickety split!  One of my favorite kitchen tools.  

Now if you'll excuse me, I think we are out of cookie dough...

Refrigerator Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. (REFRIGERATE AND REST A DAY.) Drop by rounded tablespoon (or use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop)onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool. 

WDW - creamy goddess salad dressing

 

My favorite dressing when I was a kid was "green goddess."  I'm not sure where the name came from (or what was in it), but I loved the creamy consistency.   Creamy dressings are just so wonderful... but they usually contain yukky mayonnaise.   So we stick to mostly vinaigrettes.  When I came across this dressing recipe using tahini, I thought it was a brilliant yet healthy way to add some creaminess to a salad.  I have made it a couple times now, and I just love it!

Tonight I made a salad using our fantastic fresh garden greens and beets (which I oven-roasted), some avocado, leftover steak, and this lovely dressing.   With daylight savings time in action, and the warm weather, this felt like the perfect summer dinner.

 Lemon Tahini goddess dressing

•  1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• the juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoons organic soy sauce, liquid aminos, or gluten-free tamari 
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• 1/8 cup fresh parsley leaves

1. Toss all ingredients into a Vitamix, small food processor, or standard kitchen blender.
2. Blend until well combined and smooth.

Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Use within 1 week.

WDW: Probiotic Power Punch!

 
It's sickie season, and though I usually escape illness fairly well, this season I've gotten a couple of mild colds and a nasty infection.  

So, I'm trying to be proactive about eating lots of greens, fresh veggie juices, vitamin and antioxidant rich fruits, and probiotic foods, such as yogurt, kefir, and the like. Probiotics are especially helpful to boost all that good bacteria in your gut (where most of your immune system operates).   Today's recipe is a favorite new breakfast that I tweaked from this yummy chia seed pudding recipe  (except I sub in maple syrup for the sweetener in the above).   

I'm a HUGE fan of raw dairy products, and we are fortunate to have Organic Pastures dairy here in California (and we are fortunate that raw dairy is LEGAL!).   My local Sprouts market sells their products, including their raw kefir.   Kefir has more probiotics than yogurt, so I buy it often and mix it into smoothies or pour it over some fruit.   I decided to blend my love for the chia pudding with my desire to eat more probiotics.  The result was smashing!  Try it soon!

Kefir Chia Pudding
Serves 1 

1 cup raw kefir (or at least use organic, unsweetened if you can't get raw)
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
fresh berries of choice
real maple syrup
toasted coconut, (or granola, nuts, etc.)

In a serving bowl, stir the kefir and chia seeds together.   Chill at least 45 minutes.
Top with a drizzle of maple syrup and toasted coconut. 

Chai Tea

  
So, Rich and I have suddenly become addicted to Chai Tea.   

Now, I don't mean a cloyingly sweet Chai Tea latte, or even a Tazo Chai tea bag, but a true cup of traditional Chai Tea.  Our love for it just came out of nowhere, but we are really enjoying this new ritual.  It's sweet and spicy and very comforting in cold weather.

But, since I'm a decaf girl, and since for some reason decaf Chai tea does not exist on this planet (at a reasonable price anyways), and since I'm sort of a do-it-yourself-er at heart, of course I set out to make my own Chai Tea Blend.

I began researching.  There are different approaches.  Many use a variety of whole spices, crushed and added to whole tea leaves.  I was about to order all my spices and do it, when thankfully, I stumbled upon this blog, which contained a trusted family recipe that seemed easier.  The approach was different.  You take all the spices in ground form and add them together, making a Chai Masala spice blend.   When you want a cup of Chai, you simply add some of the masala to whole leaf black tea, and steep it traditionally over the stove with water, milk, and honey.   I liked this idea because 1) I already had all the spices on hand in ground form, and 2) It seemed like you would get a more consistent taste doing it this way.  It seemed to me if you mixed the whole crushed spices with the tea in a big jar, the spices might settle and you might not get the true blend of taste you're looking for when you take out a portion.  

So I tried it.  Using my trusty digital kitchen scale, I made 1/4 of the Masala recipe to begin with, because I wasn't sure if I'd like it.  It made a good amount, almost 1 cup of spice.  In a small saucepan, I put a 1/4 tsp. of the Masala Chai blend, 1 1/2 tsp. organic loose leaf English Breakfast tea, 1 Tbsp. raw honey, 1/2 cup whole milk, and 1/2 cup water.  I heated it over med-high and stirred as it came to a gentle boil.  I then lowered the heat and simmered it 5 minutes.   We purchased plain empty tea bags so I just put the tea in there and didn't have to strain it (but you can also use a tea ball or just throw the loose tea in, and strain it out).   

When I tasted the Chai, I got really excited.  It was AMAZING!!  It's really flavorful, warm and spicy.  In fact, it was a little too spicy so I added a little more of everything except the pepper to tame it a little. The ease of making a traditional cup of Chai is now a snap!   Below is my modified recipe (after I reduced the pepper by about 20%). Feel free to taste it and then tweak it as I did to your own personal liking.

Chai Masala blend

125 g. black pepper, finely ground, (3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp)

125 g. ground ginger (3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp)

50 g. ground cinnamon (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)

50 g. ground cardamom (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)

5 g. ground cloves (2 tsp)

5 g. ground nutmeg (2 tsp)

Mix all spices together and store in an airtight jar.

Chai Tea Recipe

1/8-1/4 tsp. Chai Masala blend

1 1/2 tsp. loose leaf black tea (or any black tea bag)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup whole milk (do NOT use skim, you need the fat to bring out the Masala taste)

1 Tbsp. raw honey (or more if you like)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Place over medium heat. Allow to heat until small bubbles appear around the perimeter of the milk.  Stir the Chai, scraping the bottom to avoid scalding the milk.  When the milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat and stir well.   Allow to steep for 5 minutes.  Strain carefully into a cup, and serve.

Winter getaway

Rich doesn't generally get to take time off from work during the holidays.  But, he does often take off the first week of January-- which is kind of fun!  Just when I'm feeling a little sad that all the holiday festivities are over, I get my husband for a week.  Works for me!  He had a little honey-do list to work through for some of the time, but we also got away for a few days to the Palm desert area. It's been so cold here; it was sure nice to get a little time to soak in the sun. 

We started out Saturday morning with a stop at a new place in Pasadena I've been wanting to try, Lavender & Honey Espresso Bar.   Rich enjoyed his chai tea while I had their honeybee latte... yum.   Since it was breakfast time, we also had something from their "toast" bar.    I had the L & H toast which was toasted walnut bread spread with goat cheese, drizzled generously with honey, and topped with lavender flowers.  It was delicious and I've been making it at home ever since with Berolina's whole wheat walnut bread.  Rich had the Lemon & Sugar toast which was toasted  french bread buttered and then topped with a lovely lemon marmalade with powdered sugar.  Cute and cozy little place, I'll definitely be back.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells for two glorious nights.    
It's secluded, quiet, and far from the Palm Springs scene. 
We like that there's a Starbucks in the lobby so you don't have to rush out to breakfast.  :-)  
Drinking coffee in bed just screams VACATION to me.
We also had a great time playing tennis, relaxing by the pool, and trying out some new food finds.
Above is the lovely view from our room.  You can't tell, but there was snow on the San Jacinto mountains.  It wasn't so warm in the mornings, but in the afternoons, we enjoyed mid-70's poolside.

We are definitely "sit and read by the pool" people (and sit on the beach and read people for that matter.  :-)  We can do this for hours, and never get bored.
Rich was engrossed in one of Michael Pollan's books on food.
I enjoyed starting a new Francine Rivers book, Voice in the Wind.

 

Notice there is no one in sight.  It's not quite the high season yet out there, and we kind of liked that.

Early January in California can't be beat!

Food eaten poolside is just EXTRA lovely, isn't it??

Ahi sesame poke nachos at Cork & Fork
(to die for)




Sun-dried tomato & feta frittata AND blueberry vanilla french toast
at Wilma & Frieda

 

Quite possibly the most perfect eggs Benedict ever.
also from 
Wilma & Frieda


 

It's ALWAYS a good day when you get to share some Tiramisu with the one you love. It was ALMOST as good as Sisley.  :-)
We LOVED  Bucatini Trattoria in La Quinta.

SOAP SALE TODAY!!

UPDATE:  The sale is now over.
All bars are sold!
I hope to be back in the spring...
thanks everyone for your interest!
Stay clean :-)


Welcome to the soap sale!

If you would like more details about my soap, click here.
 

 I am offering 5 different types of soap: 

All-vegetable oil  

Goat milk

Goat milk oatmeal 

Shea butter

NEW!  Cocoa butter

ALL-VEGETABLE OIL SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

Made with coconut, organic palm, and olive oils.  
A great basic body or facial bar.

Quantity: SOLD OUT



Quantity: SOLD OUT

 

Quantity: SOLD OUT

SHEA BUTTER SOAPS - $4.00 each plus tax

Same oils as the all-vegetable oil soap, with the addition of unrefined shea butter for extra richness (this is considered a "super fatted" soap). Shea butter moisturizes without clogging pores and contains skin benefiting vitamins A and E. You can really feel the difference when you use a shea butter soap. 

Quantity:  SOLD OUT

 

Quantity: SOLD OUT



Quantity: SOLD OUT

GOAT MILK SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

Same oils as the all-vegetable oil soap, but the addition of goat’s milk provides rich emollients and vitamins to moisturize and nourish the skin. It contains capric-capryllic triglycerides, which are effective in moisturizing skin, and goat milk soap's gentle natural ingredients are beneficial to people with skin sensitivities or eczema.  I am offering one special soap formulated especially for hand washing.  I call it "scrubbie" as it contains coffee grounds for deep cleaning and odor removal (think: garlic).

Quantity: SOLD OUT

Quantity: SOLD OUT

Quantity: SOLD OUT

GOAT MILK OATMEAL SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

All the moisture of goat milk soap, oatmeal soap also provides numerous additional benefits. It is great for both oily and dry skin types. Dry skin benefits by having its pH balanced by the oatmeal, while oily skin benefits by the absorbent nature of oats. Plus, there is a healthy fat in oatmeal that keeps skin moist. And the polysaccharides in oatmeal protect the skin after it is washed. Oatmeal soap also contains poly phenols, which benefits acne prone skin and exfoliates the surface cells; it is particularly effective for cystic acne. Oatmeal soaps lather great and provide light exfoliation.

 

Quantity: SOLD OUT
 

Quantity: SOLD OUT

 

Quantity: SOLD OUT

NEW!  COCOA BUTTER SOAP - $4.00 plus tax

I am pleased to introduce this super emollient new soap!

Cocoa butter is known as the ultimate moisturizer.

It contains natural antioxidants and absorbs easily into the skin.

This soap contains 3% more butter than my shea butter soap, making it my richest soap.

I chose to leave it unscented so that the natural chocolate aroma could shine through.  

 

Quantity: SOLD OUT

Can’t decide?   

Try a sample pack! 

 

  Quantity:  SOLD OUT

I will surprise you with 4 different soaps in half bar sizes. 
Each pack will contain one of each type of soap

(goat milk, goat milk oatmeal, vegetable oil, and either cocoa butter or shea butter)

$8 plus tax

SALE DETAILS

ORDERING:  Email me at harasick@ca.rr.com with your order.  I will answer back with confirmation and a total.  Please pay attention to quantities available as you order... I'll be updating as I can to keep what is available current.

DELIVERY/SHIPPING: If you are close by, we can make arrangements to get you your goods. If not, I am happy to ship to anywhere in the U.S. 

I can ship up to 4 bars of soap for $5.25 using the USPS small flat rate priority box; larger orders will most likely fit in the medium flat rate box for $11.35. 

PAYMENT: I accept  PayPal (use harasick@ca.rr.com), cash, or personal checks (cash & checks accepted only in person).

Soap Sale Coming Up!

I'm back!  It's been awhile, but I'm finally having a soap sale!

 I will begin taking orders first come, first served next Wednesday, December 3rd at 9:00 am (California time). 

Here are some details about the my soap and the sale. 
 

First, let me tell you a little about my soaps and why you’ll love them. :-)   My soaps are 100% all natural – never any harsh chemicals or ingredients to harm your skin. They contain natural glycerine which is formed in the saponification (soap making) process. Glycerine actually attracts moisture to your skin. Most commercial soaps lack glycerine because they are extracted out for use in other products. Detergents are added in and that is why your skin can feel dry and itchy.  Consequently, homemade soap is softer, so you must let it drain and air dry well between uses.

Do you know what is in the soap you use? I do, because I control everything that goes into the soap I make! I choose only quality, natural ingredients such as coconut, organic palm, and olive oils, 100% pure essential oils, goat’s milk, natural colorants and exfolliants. Yes, I use lye, as it is essential in soap making, but rest assured it evaporates in the saponification process. You can read more about the properties of each specific type of soap below. 

All the soap is made in small batches, by the cold process method, and is cut by hand in my own kitchen. I really enjoy making soap for my own family and it’s a joy to share it with you, too! These bars are large, around 4 1/2 -5 oz each! 

This time I will be offering 5 different types of soap: 

All-vegetable oil  

Goat milk

Goat milk oatmeal 

Shea butter

NEW!  Cocoa butter

ALL-VEGETABLE OIL SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

Made with coconut, organic palm, and olive oils.  
A great basic body or facial bar.

 

SHEA BUTTER SOAPS - $4.00 each plus tax

Same oils as the all-vegetable oil soap, with the addition of unrefined shea butter for extra richness (this is considered a "super fatted" soap). Shea butter moisturizes without clogging pores and contains skin benefiting vitamins A and E. You can really feel the difference when you use a shea butter soap. 

 

GOAT MILK SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

Same oils as the all-vegetable oil soap, but the addition of goat’s milk provides rich emollients and vitamins to moisturize and nourish the skin. It contains capric-capryllic triglycerides, which are effective in moisturizing skin, and goat milk soap's gentle natural ingredients are beneficial to people with skin sensitivities or eczema.  I am offering one special soap formulated especially for hand washing.  I call it "scrubbie" as it contains coffee grounds for deep cleaning and odor removal (think: garlic).

GOAT MILK OATMEAL SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

All the moisture of goat milk soap, oatmeal soap also provides numerous additional benefits. It is great for both oily and dry skin types. Dry skin benefits by having its pH balanced by the oatmeal, while oily skin benefits by the absorbent nature of oats. Plus, there is a healthy fat in oatmeal that keeps skin moist. And the polysaccharides in oatmeal protect the skin after it is washed. Oatmeal soap also contains poly phenols, which benefits acne prone skin and exfoliates the surface cells; it is particularly effective for cystic acne. Oatmeal soaps lather great and provide light exfoliation.

 

 

NEW!  COCOA BUTTER SOAP - $4.00 plus tax

I am pleased to introduce this super emollient new soap!

Cocoa butter is known as the ultimate moisturizer.

It contains natural antioxidants and absorbs easily into the skin.

This soap contains 3% more butter than my shea butter soap, making it my richest soap.

I chose to leave it unscented so that the natural chocolate aroma could shine through.  

 

Can’t decide?   

Try a sample pack! 

 

  

I will surprise you with 4 different soaps in half bar sizes. 
Each pack will contain one of each type of soap

(goat milk, goat milk oatmeal, vegetable oil, and either cocoa butter or shea butter)

$8 plus tax

SALE DETAILS

DELIVERY/SHIPPING: If you are close by, we can make arrangements to get you your goods. If not, I am happy to ship to anywhere in the U.S. 

I can ship up to 4 bars of soap for $5.25 using the USPS small flat rate priority box; larger orders will most likely fit in the medium flat rate box for $11.35. 

PAYMENT: I accept PayPal (use harasick@ca.rr.com), cash, or personal checks (cash & checks accepted only in person).