Chocolate Chip Cookies

My mother had an owl-shaped cookie jar (similar to this one) that was always filled with some kind of tasty treat.  My favorite was chocolate chip cookies.  On days that she baked cookies, the kitchen was filled with a wonderful, sweet, chocolaty aroma.  I always looked forward to a spoonful of cookie dough during the baking process.  On other days, it was simply nice to lift up the owl's head and reach in for a cookie or two.  What I am wondering at this moment is, Who has that cookie jar now?

Prepare
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients
2C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1C chopped pecans
2 1/4C flour
1t baking soda
1t salt
1/2C butter or margarine
1/4C plain Greek yogurt
1/2C sugar
1/2C brown sugar
1t vanilla extract
2T ground flax seed plus 6T water ~or~ 2 eggs

Directions
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl (or mixer bowl) beat butter, yogurt, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy.  Add the eggs or egg substitute and beat well.  Gradually add the flour mixture, a few spoonfuls at a time.  Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie pan or baking sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes.  Let cool on pan for 2 minutes then place cookies on wire racks until completely cooled.

Notes
I flattened each cookie slightly before baking.  
I baked one pan at a time on the upper rack to ensure that the cookies had a golden-brown coloring.  

Mom's Hummus

Super Bowl XLVI is coming up!  To help you prepare for any parties you might either host or attend, here is a super-simple hummus recipe.  According to Wikipedia.org, the first recipe that resembles modern-day hummus was from Egypt in the 13th century.

Ingredients
1 can garbanzo beans/chick peas
2T tahini
2T lemon juice
1T olive oil
2 medium-sized cloves garlic or 1/2t garlic powder
1/2t cumin
1/4t salt
Paprika (garnish)
Spoonful of chopped tomatoes (garnish)

Directions
Put all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth.  Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and a spoonful of fresh, chopped tomatoes.

Cherry Topping

Cherry Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts.  It is quick and convenient to purchase a can of cherry filling/topping from the grocery store.  However, instead of heading to the baking aisle, go directly to produce and buy cherries.  Making a cherry - or any fruit topping - is easy.  My family does not like overly sweet desserts, so you may need to add more sugar based on the preferences of your family.

Ingredients
2C fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1/2C water
1/4C to 1/2C sugar
2T corn starch

Directions
Remove the stems from the cherries.  Cut each cherry in half.  Separate the halves, placing the one without the pit in a bowl.  Take the half with the pit and remove it using a cherry pitter.  The easiest way to do this is to take a paperclip and bend it so that you end up with two hooks.  Use one hook to scoop out the seed.  I used a the wire handle removed from a small binder clip as my tool.

Place the chopped cherries and 1/4C water in a sauce pan.  Over medium-high heat, stir continuously for about 10 minutes.  The boiling will break down the cherries and the mixture will begin to resemble a sauce.  Add the sugar.  Continue to stir and cook for a couple of minutes.  In a small bowl, combine the corn starch and remaining 1/4C water.  Mix well with a small, wire whisk.  Add this mixture to the cherry mixture and cook, stirring continuously, until your sauce thickens.

If using the topping for pancakes or waffles, serve warm.  If you are planning to place atop a cheesecake, let the topping cool before using.

Happy Birthday

Today is the one-year birthday of my recipe blog.  I started the blog mainly as an electronic version of my recipe box.  Specifically, my dad wanted a couple of recipes from our Thanksgiving meal and the idea of a blog came to my mind!  Plus, it is more convenient for me to locate the recipes on my blog.

As I began entering recipes, I shared recipes with others, mainly via Facebook.  Knowing that some people would visit and hoping that they would like the blog, I decided to add photos and stories about each recipe.  There are a few recipes that just contain the ingredients and preparation instructions, however I look forward to writing the stories that accompany the recipes. 

For the next year, my goal is to post at least two recipes per month.  I have identified about 25 recipes from my trusty, old recipe box, and I'm sure that I'll come across others as well.  My other goals are to increase the number of followers and to encourage people to enter comments here on the blog rather than on Facebook when they try a recipe.

If you have a great recipe that you would like to contribute let me know.  The recipes need to be vegetarian (using dairy products and eggs) or vegan (plant-based products).  Additionally, please have a personal story related to the recipe.  If you need help developing the story let me know.  Pictures are also nice!

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Today for lunch my wife prepared Chicken & Rice Casserole.  Because it is a "one dish meal" it really only needs one side, perhaps a green vegetable (like asparagus or green beans) or a salad.  We opted for the salad for today's meal.

We don't use salad dressings very often, and usually, the dressings in the refrigerator are beyond the "best used by" expiration date.  A brief search online brought me to this recipe.

Ingredients
1/4C balsamic vinegar
2t dark brown sugar
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1/2t salt
1/2t freshly ground black pepper
3/4C olive oil

Prepare
In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly until sugar and salt are dissolved.  Add olive oil and mix well with a small wire whisk.