Thursday, August 6, 2009

Shutting Down

Hello all two readers!

I've decided to move/shut down this blog. I'm continuing to post recipes, and my new site is:

I'm creating it as a "page" to my family blog, and have imported all recipes and whatnot to the new blog. It's easier administratively (is that even a word?) for me to do it this way. Thanks for following along for this short time I've been TKBD. Head on over to the new site and keep up with me here!
-Caitlin

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

A Seasoning Must Have

I just fixed a completely mundane dinner (eggs and blueberry pancakes) and I thought instead of sharing a recipe (as if you all need step-by-step directions for pre-made pancakes!), I'd share the wonderfulness of this seasoning. I first used this on my scrambled eggs, and boy oh boy.. I'll never go back to regular eggs ever again. This can be found in any grocery store (I hope) in the spice aisle and comes in a yellow container. Try it on your eggs first, and see what ya' think. Then you can progress to using it on all meat products, pasta dishes and anything that calls for seasoning of any kind. I promise, you won't regret it!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Basic Pizza Dough

Hmm.. I love homemade pizza! In our house, we do 1/2 chz (for plain ol' jane me) and 1/2 ham & pineapple for The Hubby. I've tried several pizza dough recipes and this one is my favorite. Not only does the dough taste good, but it only takes 45 minutes to rise! How wonderful. This recipe was taken from my top food idol, Paula Deen.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 3/4 c. warm water
1 1/4 ounces pkg active dry yeast
2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
3 tbsp. olive oil

Measure out 1-3/4 c. warm water in a bowl (it should be pleasantkly warm on your wrist). Sprinkle the yeast on top of the watr and allow it to activate, about 10 minutes.

Put the salt and 2 cups of the flour into a food processor. Pulse 5 times to blend. Pour in the yeast and water and pulse 5 times. Add the olive oils. Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time, pulsng and scraping the sides of the bowl until well blended. As soon as the mixture is combined, dump it out onto a well-floured board and knead for 15 turns. The dough will become smooth and elastic-like.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 45 minute, until doubled in size, and then punch it down.

I roll my dough out and place it in one cookie sheet, or you can cut the dough in half and it makes 2 12 in. round pizzas. I bake mine at 425 deg. for 15 minutes and we love it!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Rotisserie Style Crock Pot Chicken

Wow! It's been awhile. It's not that I haven't been in the kitchen creating wonderful yummy goodness.. I just haven't been blogging about it. I have also though about closing this blog down, but haven't come to a conclusion yet so I'll keep posting! I have a few recipes to share, but sadly.. no pics :-(. I promise though, that all recipes I share are exceptionally good even without visual confirmation!

This recipe I received my from aunt, and boy am I thankful she sent it. It's so incredibly good! Normally when I want rotisserie style chicken, I just pop on over to the grocery store down the street and buy one that is already done. But I love this even better, since it makes my house smell delicious from cooking all day and it's already at home when I get home from work. The other great thing is that if you don't have all the spices on hand, throw in something else.

Rotisserie Style Crock Pot Chicken

1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs.)
3 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. black pepper
Pinch of chili pepper

Remove all the innards of chicken. Mix the spices together and rub it all over the chicken (even under the skin), and throw it in the crock pot (essentially the spices combined together makes a rub).

Low for 8 hours (I left mine in for 9ish and the meat practically fell off the bone!), or high for 4-5.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies



By Jove, I think I've found it! By "it" I mean the ultimate oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. I've tried a few different ones, but this one is by far the best. You can literally whip up this recipe in less than 10 minutes and have gooey yummy cookies fresh out of the oven in less than 25. Don't get me wrong, I love me some plain ol' chocolate chip cookies. But once in awhile.. it's nice to have a twist. Shake things up. Go crazy and wild.. I'm sure you get the picture.

This recipe comes to us from a pretty cool lady named Amy. Have never actually met her, and she probably doesn't even know I exist but I love following her blog. Plus, we have tons in common. We share the same last name, love to bake AND live in the same state. Wowza's! So go on over and visit her blog, peruse through her recipes and if you keep up with her.. she has some pretty cool giveaways. Anyway, she doesn't know I'm advertising her blog but I figure if I do it to someone else, maybe someone will do the same thing for me someday. Hope you all enjoy your ultimate-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies!!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c butter, softened
1 c brown sugar
½ c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ c flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 c Quick Quick-Oats
1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Slowly beat in eggs, then add vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt to creamed mixture, mix well. Then add oats, and chocolate chunks. Stir together and drop spoon sized balls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes, edges should be slightly browned, and centers slightly gooey.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Trifle



We had a few friends over on Monday night for dessert and games. We had SUCH a good time! The best part, as always, was the dessert. I'm not boasting here.. but this trifle was good. It also looks beautiful! There are many variations to trifle. I've had chocolate trifle (never made though, and not sure I ever will. It was too much chocolate for me), and I also have a recipe for pumpkin-gingerbread trifle that I can't WAIT to try out in the fall. Trifle can be made so many ways to fit whatever your theme or cravings are. I've seen a red, white and blue theme with blueberries and strawberries. You could do a berry themed trifle. And it's also fun to mix up the pudding flavors to get different colors or tastes. I've always wanted to try something with white chocolate pudding. Yum!

By far my favorite trifle though is strawberry-banana. It's light, it looks beautiful on the table and will always be an instant hit! If you don't have a trifle bowl, it can also be made in a punch bowl. Make sure that it's clear though, that way everyone can admire the beautiful layers and will think you put more work into it than you actually did!

Trifle

1 store bought angel food cake, torn up into little pieces
1 large package vanilla pudding made according to directions
One package fresh strawberries
3-4 bananas
1 large container Cool Whip

Take half of angel food cake and place in bottom of trifle bowl. Spread half of pudding on top of that, covering completely. Layer half of fruit on top of pudding. Spread half of Cool Whip on top of fruit. Repeat with remaining half ingredients with Cool Whip ending on very top layer.

Tips and Tricks:

  • Like I said, trifle is malleable to whatever your occasion might be. Experiment, have fun!
  • For the strawberries, I sprinkled a little sugar and mashed them a bit to get the juices going. Makes them a little sweeter I think.
  • Keep refridgerated until ready to serve. The whole process of cutting fruit and putting it together takes less than 30 minutes.

Sugar Cookies


Okay. Okay. I procrastinated BIG time on this post. So not only are they not decorated pretty, these cookies picture here are a few days old. Yikes! Please forgive my food blogging faux paux. I guess I'm just trying to say, don't let the picture fool ya'. These cookies really are good! The best part is that they don't require cooling. This recipe is perfect for all those impatient bakers out there that want their treat right now. Or am I the only one that feels like that? This recipe is courtesy of my M-I-L. She's been making these for years, but I was introduced to them over Christmas when she made them for Santa. I ate everything that Santa didn't. I've heard people rave about a store bought brand, I think it's called Lofthouse (or maybe Granny B's? Not sure), and these are BETTER. So fluffy, so soft, so good. And of course, so versatile! Can be used for any holiday or event.
a
Sugar Cookies

2 sticks of butter
1-1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
4 c. flour

Melt butter. Add sugar and stir. Let cool slightly. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Roll out in desire shape. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes (adjust time for chewy vs. crunchy cookies).

Monday, April 6, 2009

Snickerdoodle Blondies



OH. MY. GOSH. This dessert is DIVINE. I've seen this particlar treat showcased on several food blogs lately, and I just knew I had to try it. I was not disappointed! It was so easy to make, and the best part is that it uses ingredients already stocked in your baking cupboards. I actually made this last week and it still tastes good, days later. You have got to try it! I promise you'll love it. Recipe courtesty of My Baking Addiction.

a

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. grated or ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and/or line a 9x13 inch pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside.
2. In large bowl, beat together butter brown sugar for 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and beat until smooth.
3. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be somewhat cookiebatter-ish, so it’s best so spread it out with a greased spatula or your hands). Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter
4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool before cutting. Makes 20-24 bars.

Shrimp Quesadilla's


This recipe has a great combination of flavors that I kick myself for not thinking of it before! I made this for our sunday dinner, and it was quite delicious. Since I had a little extra time, I went above and beyond and made homemade tortilla's. WOW. They were soo good! They were thick and soft, and it added just the extra touch of love to the meal. I served it with spanish rice, found in any Mexican food aisle in the grocery store. This would also make a great appetizer, if you're looking for something to serve other than chips and salsa.
a
Shrimp Quesadilla’s
(Courtesy of Betty Crocker’s Fix-it-Fast Family Favorites)

8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (I used regular cheese)
1 large tomato, chopped
½ cup real bacon pieces (I used ½ lb. real bacon, chopped)
1 package frozen cooked salad shrimp, rinsed and thawed

1. Heat 10-in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 1 tortilla in skillet. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of the cheese and ¼ each of the tomato, bacon, and shrimp. Sprinkle with additional ¼ cup of the cheese. Top with another tortilla.
2. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until bottom is golden brown; turn. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer or until bottom is golden brown.
3. Repeat three more times with remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadilla into wedges


Texas Flour Tortillas
(Courtesy of Homesick Texan)

Two cups of all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vegetable oil
¾ cups of warm milk

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed
Knead dough for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough ahs rested, break of eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes.
It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out into proper thickness or shape.
After dough has rested, one at a time place dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a 4-in circle, and them roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter.
Don’t overwork the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Sour Cream Turkey "Steak" Patties


Mr. P gave this recipe two thumbs up!! It was so good, he even went for seconds. This is another Lion House recipe, and I'm starting to believe they know what they are talking about! When I first read the recipe, I thought that they would become turkey burgers, not steaks. I'm sure that if that's your desire, just divide them into smaller portions. The ONLY thing I would do differently is next time I will add an egg. The meat turned out really crumbly and difficult to handle (what's my deal with crumbly meat?), and the egg would help to solidify the steak patties. Otherwise, it has really great flavor and tastes super good. Enjoy!
a
Sour Cream Turkey Patties
(Courtesy of Lion House Recipes)

1 lb. ground turkey
1 c. soft bread crumbs, divided
3 tbsp. light sour cream
1/3 c. skim milk
¼ tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. butter or margarine

Combine turkey, ½ c. bread crumbs, sour cream, milk, pepper, and nutmeg. Divide mixture into fourths and mold each portion into a flat patty. Spread remaining ½ cup bread crumbs on a plate; carefully dip patties in crumbs, covering on both sides. Place a cooking rack in a shallow baking dish; set patties on rack and let stand uncovered in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Spray a large frying pan with nonstick cooking spray. Melt butter or margarine in pan over medium heat. Add patties and brown 5 minutes on each side. Makes 4 servings.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Lion House Meat Loaf


This is my first experience making meat loaf. I never really liked it as a kid. The whole idea of baked meat just grossed me out. I recently found out that Mr. P loves meat loaf. Who knew? In my quest to become the best wife I can, I started my search for a meat loaf recipe. I found one in a Lion House cook book that we received as a wedding gift. I knew that if it came from Lion House, I had to try it. The sauce called for tomato soup instead of ketchup, and that made all the difference for me. The "loaf" part of the recipe didn't turn out so well, I'm not sure where I went wrong with that. It turned out to be a big crumbly mess, but in the end.. it turned out all right. I highly recommend this recipe. Delish!

Lion House Meat Loaf (Courtesy of Lion House Recipes)

½ c. chopped onions
1 can (10-1/2 oz) tomato soup
¼ c. water
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 dash pepper
2 lbs. extra-lean ground beef
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Make sauce: Spray a frying pan with nonstick cooking spray and preheat briefly on the stove. Add onions and saute until tender. Stir in tomaot soup, water, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper; simmer a few minutes to blend flavors.

Make meat loaf: Mix ground beef, salt, eggs, and half the sauce until well blended. Mold into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours. Remove from oven and allow to stand for about 10 min. Serve with remaining sauce. Makes 10 servings.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Tried and True


The Hubby is off in the morning for a weekend long drill. He gets to spend time with his army buddies, shooting the "big" guns. Besides the nasty cold spot we're experiencing, he's looking forward to it. I think. I decided to make him a treat to take with him to the field. These aren't his favorite, but I knew it was something I could whip up in less than ten minutes, minus baking time.

Chocolate chip cookies.. so easy, so simple. These are the first cookies I ever learned how to make. This is the first recipe I ever memorized. These plain ol', regular-joe-schmoe chocolate chip cookies are my FAVORITE treat to eat. Hands down, of all time. Poor Hubby.. he has a lifetime of chocolate chip cookies to look forward too. ;-)

I debated about whether or not to share the recipe, as everyone has their own favorites and I'm sure yours is the best. If you're still on the hunt for the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe ever, e-mail me and I'll send you mine. I promise you won't regret it!

So I'm going to go pour myself a tall glass of milk, sit in my favorite spot on the couch in my comfy pants and indulge myself. I've earned it!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Zesty Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

I tried a new dish for dinner tonight, and it was excellent! This is another recipe to add to your budget friendly/quick dinner recipe collection.

I found this recipe in a cook book that I already had. I have a TON of cookbooks that I have received over the years that were just patiently waiting to be perused. So if you are at a loss of what to make for whatever the occasion might be, go through the cookbooks you already have. You never know, you might find something that catches your fancy.


Zesty Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Courtesy of Betty Crocker's Fix-It-Fast Family Favorites

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 lb. small red potatoes, cut in quarters
1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Chopped fresh chives, if desired.

  1. Heat oven to 350. Grease jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch.
  2. Place chicken and potatoes in pan. Mix remaining ingredients except chives; brush over chicken and potatoes.
  3. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with chives.

Twilight Party

I am a Twilight addict (I just wanted to get that out of the way). This past weekend my Mom and I threw a Twilight party for the DVD release. Mostly we just wanted to have an excuse to bake some yummy treats and share them with our friends!

MINT OREO TRUFFLES
Courtesy of Culinary Wannabe
Makes appx 4 dozen

1 package of Cool Mint flavored Double Stuffed Oreos
-use 22 whole cookies
-use 10 cookies with cream centers discarded
8 oz. package cream cheese, at room temp
chocolate bark or candy coating

1. Place all cookies in a food processor and pulse to a fine crumb. You could also put them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
2. Stir together crushec cookies and cream cheese. I found it easier to get in there with my hands like you are making meat loaf.
3. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on wax paper lined baking sheet.
4. Place balls into the fridge or feezer to slightly harden.
5. Melt candies accoriding to instructions.
6. Dip chilled balls into melted candies, then place back on wax paper to dry. (You might need to stick balls back in fridge for a few minutes to keep them chilled, which will make them easier to work with).
7. Once candy coating has hardened, you can drizzel or decoarte with a constrasting color.
8. Keep refridgerated.

The 1-inch balls, mixed with cream cheese on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

I used Ghiradelli white chocolate bark. Can be found in baking aisle of any grocery store. The more sophisticated bakers order the bark online from Wilton.

The truffles dipped in melted white chocolate bark. Kind of messy. A tip I picked up from Bakerella is to cut around the bottom of the truffle to get rid of the excess candy.

The finished mint oreo truffle. To get the drizzle, I melted red frosting (I just bouth the already prepared in a bag kind) that I microwaved in a sandwich bag for about a minute. Looks kind of like blood, right? Blood.. vampires. Makes sense.
BROWN SUGAR "BITES"
Courtesy of Mom (not sure where she got the recipe from)
1 lb. of bacon
1 package Lil' Smokies
3/4 c. brown sugar
toothpicks
  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Cut bacon into three sections. Roll around Lil' Smokies, stab with toothpick to secure.
  3. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of brown sugar over all. Bake for 30 minutes.
We couldn't have a whole party full of sweets, so we decided to do a play-on-word with "bites". You know, "bites"...vampires. Aren't we clever.

Rolling the bacon around the Lil' Smokies.

Still rolling.

The finished product. In the words of Rachel Ray, Yum-O!!



RED VELVET CUPCAKE "BITES"
Red Velvet Cake Mix (plus relevant ingredients to put cake together)
Mini cupcake baking tins
Paper cupcake holders
Make and bake according to package directions. Since the cupcakes were "bite" size, I started the timer at 10 minutes and worked my way up from there. I think in the end it took 12 min. for the cupcakes to bake completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup melted butter
1 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. box powdered sugar
  1. Combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla, mixing well.
  2. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
  3. Spread on cooled cake.

The freshly frosted mini cupcake "bites".

Displayed in all their glory. I've discovered that when you are throwing a party where lots of women are going to be there, making things bite sized is the key. Woman are more likely to put more food on their plate when they are smaller. Why is that? I don't know. But it works. So if you want your food to be gone, make things bite sized. Just a suggestion.
We had a TON of fun, enjoyed watching the movie and definitely enjoyed eating the yummy food. I didn't get any pictures of it, but we also served a mean blood red punch and mushroom ravioli. I love parties!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

This Evening's Dining Pleasure... Or Not

Let's face it... we're poor. Being in the "Starving Student" stage is rough for the gourmet taste buds. That said, I've been focusing on finding budget friendly recipes. I look at the ingredients: how easily I can get them, how expensive they are, the amount of ingredients... that sort of thing. I also look for the amount of time involved in making whatever dish it may be. I work full time and the LAST thing I want to do at the end of the day is come home and make a big production. By that time I'm starving and grumpy and The Hubby is starving and not so grumpy.

The first time I was introduced to Lobster Bisque was eating out at Ruth's Chris with my wonderful in-laws. I am now going to put a plug in for Ruth's Chris, the BEST steakhouse out there. So delicious! Anyway, back to the bisque. The Hubby has been asking me to find a recipe for this for awhile, and I finally tried it out. Would I say it's Ruth's Chris quality? Uh, no. But it was sorta tasty in it's own way. I followed the recipe exactly and here it is:

Lobster Bisque (Adapted from this website)

1 Cup Chicken Broth
2 Medium Slices Onion
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb. cooked and cubed lobster meat
1/2 tsp worcstershire sauce
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

1. In a small frying pan place 1/4 c. chicken broth and the onion. Cook over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes.

2. In a medium size pot over medium heat melt the butter. Slowly whisk in flour. Whisk until a creamy mixture is created.

3. Gradually poor in broth, whisking constantly. Whisk in milk, salt, onion, lobster meat, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper. Heat until soup is almost boiling. Do not boil the soup as the milk will curdle when boiled.


Tips and Tricks:
  • I used frozen shrimp that was already prepped instead of the lobster meat. Way cheaper than lobster plus I didn't have to do any of the work to prepare it.
  • Use the spices liberally. This batch had a kick to it and it saved the dinner.
  • Next time I make it, I think I'll use half/half or heavy cream to make it, well, creamier. Just the regular milk made it too watery.
  • I also think next time I am going to put some celery in it. Doesn't seem like a lot, but basically we had milk, spice and shrimp for dinner. Warmed up. Yum.

DESSERT

I promised The Hubby that I wouldn't make treats for awhile. We're both trying to be healthier and lose a little bit of weight. Well, that promise only lasted three whole days. I've been craving these for awhile, so I decided to satisfy my craving. Better now than later, right? Another cookie recipe, I know. Eventually I'll branch out and try new things! These cookies have many names. Rollo cookies, caramel filled cookies, chocolate surprise cookies and I'm sure many more. Rollos in a chocolate cookie, what's better than that?


All mixed up. The Hubby gave me a Kitchen-Aid mixer for my birthday last year. Best gift ever!

"One for me, one for the bowl!" My super great helper unwrapping the rolo's.


The finished product, cooling.

The gooey, yummy caramel surprise.
Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups flour
2/4 unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
48 Rolo chewy caramels in milk chocolate, unwrapped
Heat oven to 375. In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; blend well. In large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, brown sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture; blend well. For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 tbsp dough around 1 caramel candy, covering completely. Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Chocolate Blizzard Cookies

Chocolate Blizzard Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup large semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, chopped

Beat butter, sugar, and baking soda for 30 seconds. Beat in cooled chocolate, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in flour. Add chips and nuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until tops look dry. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute before moving to wire racks to cool. Makes 3-1/2 dozen.

Happy Baking!