Monster Cookies

This is a Monster Cookie!

I hate to go on record as saying such a thing this early in the game, BUT this is the one time where you should forsake the Pioneer Woman's recipe in favor of this one.  Sorry, Ree, you know I've got nothin but love for ya!  The texture of this cookie reminds me a bit of a no-bake cookie.  Must be the peanut butter and oats combination.  It's simply wonderful.

Moster Cookies

recipe from my friend Amy

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup + 2 Tbls brown sugar

3 eggs

2 cups peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp light corn syrup

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups oats

1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate...your call!)

M&Ms

Directions

If you have a stand mixer, just throw in the first nine ingredients (from the butter down to the salt) and walk off. Once combined, then add in your oats until mixed, and then the chocolate chips.

Or you can do it my way.  In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter and the sugar and brown sugar.  Add in the eggs and mix until combined.  Then add the peanut butter, vanilla, light corn syrup, baking soda, and salt and continue mixing until combined.  Stir in the oats by hand using a wooden spoon (The batter should be quite thick, so you can add in a few more oats if it seems necessary).  Then stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop out 1/4 cup of cookie dough (or a cookie scoop would work well if you have one of those) onto a greased cookie sheet, allowing a couple of inches between each cookie.  Now it's time for the "Monster Mash"!  Using a spatula, press down on the cookie dough mounds to create a flat surface.  Now add a handful of M&Ms to the tops of each, and once again use that spatula to flatten the cookie and really seal in those M&Ms.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Let cool on the cookie sheet until set...probably a good 10 minutes.  (This step is important, otherwise you'll end up with crumbly cookies) Then transfer to your cookie racks.

Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies

Add these cookies to your list of must haves!  And don't dilly-dally there, pretty lady.  We're all gonna be down here talking about you.

The dime tour

My dad used to use that expression: "The dime tour".  I'm not even sure what it means. 
What I really mean is 'Welcome to my home!'  Or at least my kitchen and laundry room, 'cause that's where it's all gonna be going down.

This is my kitchen.  There's a slight possibility that I removed some junk from the fridge before taking this pic.  As if y'all really cared what was on the local elementary school lunch menu this month :)

This is just what the kitchen looks like from the other side.

And this is where we eat....the good, the bad, and even the "Hey, what do you want from Taco Bell?"

Some of my favorite cookbooks.  Oh yes, freezer meals.  We are definitely going to be talking about some freezer meals around here!

And the laundry room.  I like Gain.  I REALLY like Tide.  But, yo, we're on a budget around here.  Speaking of budgets, I've been known to make my own laundry soap.  Making soap is fun.  Let's do that together sometime, you and I.  Are ya with me?

First things first

I would really love to figure out how to link the blog to the facebook page.  Yeah, I've read the directions.  So what's the problem?  I'm bad at following directions?  A problem with facebook?  The domain name is too new?  I dunno.  Any help in that dept would be greatly appreciated!

Second order of business: A blog-worthy camera!  I'm thinking about the Canon S95

Again, any advice is certainly welcomed.  Just keep in mind that I'm totally a novice, so a professional photographers dream camera isn't quite what I'm after here.

An Intro

Confession:  I'm a first-time blogger.  I have a minor obsession with food blogs.  It's true.  I actually contemplated starting one, but, it turns out, I don't always cook on a consistent basis.  As an aside, I started noticing that the vast majority of food bloggers were dog owners.  Cute little pictures of their dogs, and the occasional reference to said pooch.  This had me wondering if dog ownership was a requirement of a food blogger. Surely that can't be right...No dog, No food blog. 
I digress.  Being the stay-at-home mom of two boys, I decided that a domestic blog might be more appropriate.  Sure, I will blog about food sometimes.  But there's a lot more to the home life than just cooking.  I've been known to get into a project or two.  And that's exactly the kind of stuff I'm inclined to blog about. 
Hold on to your hats, folks.  Here we go!!