Serving Size : 4-5 dozen                                        Preparation Time :  20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 12 oz package       Semi-sweet Chocolate chips
• 1/2 lb                        unsalted butter,  softened
• 3/4 cup dark            brown sugar
• 3/4 cup                     sugar
• 2                                eggs
• 1 teaspoon                vanilla-(generous teaspoon)
• 2 1/4 cups                 flour, make the 1/4 cup heaping
• 1 teaspoon                baking soda
• 1 cup                          pecans, chopped
• 1 teaspoon                salt

USING A WOODEN SPOON blend the sugars and butter. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Gently stirring until just blended. Stir in the nuts and then the chips.

Drop onto a cookie sheet in tablespoon size, leaving lots of room–2″–between cookies. Bake between 12 and 14 min. in a 350 degree oven. When the cookies start to get brown around the edge, that’s when they should be taken out of the oven. If you like a crisper cookie bake an additional minute. Remove from the sheets to cool on racks or parchment paper.

NOTES : I’ve been baking this recipe for over 46 years!! That fact is pretty scary. The recipe is almost exactly the same as the Toll House Cookies except for the heaping 1/4 cup flour and pecans. I think the original Toll House calls for walnuts. Also, I set the oven just UNDER 350 degrees.

The secret to these cookies is the technique. Use a wooden spoon, and don’t over beat.

Recipe By : Linda

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Serves : 25 pieces                                               Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup  (3oz)           Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
• 1                                   baguette
• 1/4 cup                       good olive oil
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the baguette diagonally into 1/4 inch thick slices. 20-25 slices.

Lay the slices in one layer on a baking sheet and brush each with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with s & p.
Sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake until browned and crisp.( Maybe 15 minutes. Watch them. )

Serve at room temperature

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NOTES : These are delicious. Don’t worry if they seem too crisp. Serve with salads and soup. Especially good with Gazpacho.

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Serving Size :  8                                           Preparation Time : 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2                                      hot house cucumbers halved and seeded, not peeled
• 3                                      red bell peppers , cored and seeded
• 8                                      plum tomatoes
• 2                                      red onions
• 6                                      garlic cloves, minced
• 46 oz                               tomato juice
• 1/2 cup                           white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup                           good olive oil,  (not that much)
• 1 tablespoon                  kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons             pepper, freshly ground

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onion into 1 inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped . Do not over process!!!!
After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

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NOTES : Try Parmesan Croutons on top. Garnish with chopped avocado and sour cream or yogurt. Pass some hot pepper sauce.

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Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

• 1         Small can frozen limeade
• 4         jiggers Tequilla
• 1          jigger Triple Sec
• 1/2      bottle Dos Eques beer
• 1/3      blender ice

Blend and serve as desired–salt glass rim or not, ice cubes or not.

My sister, Joyce, used this recipe for more parties than I can remember. Always fun, tho. You can make several batches in advance and store them in your freezer.

Recipe by: Joyce

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Serving Size : 12                                Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups                      flour
• 1 teaspoon                     Baking soda
• 2/3 teaspoon                Baking powder
• 2/3 teaspoon                salt
• 1 1/3 teaspoons            cinnamon
• 1 cup                               brown sugar
• 1 cup                               vegetable oil
• 3                                      eggs
• 1/3 cup                           crushed pineapple, with a little juice
• 3/4 cup                           grated carrots
• 1/2 cup                           chopped nuts
• 1/4 cup                           raisins (optional)
• 4 oz                                 cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 oz                                 butter, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon                 vanilla
• 1 cup                               confectioners sugar, sifted

For the cake: Sift together the first 5 ingredients into a small bowl. In another bowl, mix together, the sugar, oil and eggs. Add the flour mixture, stir. Stir in the pineapple, carrot and nuts.

Bake 45 min in a greased 9 x12 pan at 325 degrees.

For the frosting: Mix together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and sugar. Beat until smooth. Frost the cooled cake. Pig Out!!!

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NOTES : My niece, Allyn gave me this recipe a long time ago. I throw in a handful of raisins along with the nuts, etc. She used to call me, “Skins”, as a short cut to “skinny Aunt Linnie”. For an alternative topping click LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Recipe By : Allyn

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Recipe By : LINDA
Serving Size : 12               Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large package(12 oz.)                    Chocolate Chips (semisweet)
• 1 cup (1/2 lb)                                     butter
• 2 1/2 cups                                          brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 large                                                eggs
• 1 cup                                                   milk
• 1 cup                                                   sour cream
• 1 teaspoon                                         vanilla
• 2 cups                                                 cake flour — (sift, then measure)
• 3/4 cup                                              unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon                                         baking powder
• 1 teaspoon                                         baking soda
• 1 tablespoon                                     powdered sugar

In a blender or processor, whirl 1 cup of the chocolate chips until finely ground: remove from blender and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until creamy and blended. Beat in eggs until fluffy. Stir in milk, sour cream, vanilla and ground choc. chips until well blended.

In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Add to butter mixture and blend well. Stir in remaining chips. Pour batter into well greased and floured bundt pan. (12 cup) Batter fills almost to rim. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 30 min. Invert onto a rack to cool, or onto a plate to serve warm. Sift about 1 tablespoon cocoa, then the powdered sugar onto cake.

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NOTES : This is really low cal at 460 cal per serving and only 23g of fat. (joke) Serve with whipped cream or ice cream

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Serving Size : 10

Preparation Time : 30 min                  Cook time     : 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2  lbs                       Asparagus, tips reserved, stalks cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1/2 lb                      Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2  tablespoons       unsalted butter
• 3  medium              leeks, white and tender green parts only — thinly sliced
• 2 1/2  cups              chicken broth(stock)
• 2  cups                     water
• 1 large                      thyme sprig
• 1 1/2 cups                milk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons      salt
• 1/4 teaspoon          white pepper, freshly ground

Chive oil (recipe separate)

In a saucepan of boiling salted water, blanch the asparagus tips until crisp-tender, about 1 min. Drain the asparagus tips in a colander and refresh under cold water. Pat dry, halve the tips lengthwise and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan (pot). Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat, stirring until softened, about 5 min. Add the asparagus stalks, potatoes, stock, water and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 min.

Discard the thyme sprig. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender and then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the milk, salt and white pepper. Let the soup cool to room temp, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Ladle the soup into chilled bowls and drizzle with Chive Oil. Garnish with the asparagus tips and serve.

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Suggested Wine: Sauvignon Blanc–1999 Caymus Vineyards or 1999 Silverado

NOTES : This creamy soup is the best the next day, after the flavors have gotten to know each other. Season generously before serving.

Recipe By      : Bon Appetit

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