"No Fail" Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last week A Bountiful Love shared these chocolate chip cookies with WYWW...  They look amazing right?

Usually I make eat my mother-in-law's chocolate chip cookies, and they are indeed the best I have ever had.  When we went to go try these this weekend, we realized they were the same recipe!  

Anyways… back to the chocolate chocolate chip cookies!  We were making a double batch on Sunday and came to realize we only had one container of vanilla pudding mix- the not-so-secret ingredient that makes them sooooo good.  But we did have chocolate pudding… why not give it a try- my motto… 

the more chocolate the better!

So here is the recipe we followed…

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar 

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 3.5 oz instant chocolate pudding mix

pinch of salt

1-2 cups of chocolate chips ( semi sweet )

***I think we may have varied the sugar a bit… different proportions of brown vs granulated

*Mix dry ingredients * Add Wet Ingredients *Chill for a couple of hours *Cook at 350 degrees for 11ish minutes * and eat *

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At the bread and wine project this week our question is 

How do you slow down when it comes to the food you feed your family, and the time you spend with others in your home? 

To be honest- I struggle with this one a bit.   1.  Right now we are not in our own home.   2.  Confession- when I have to make something- I am always temped to buy it.  Saves time (not money). But one thing I have noted recently is how much BD loves to watch people cook.  There is a little stool in the kitchen that she stands on and watches and even participates.  This reminds me that the making of the food can also be a time of community if you let it!

Do you like to take time to cook?  Or do you struggle like me?

Quinoa Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers

Sooooo... as many of you know I don't really cook. We simply survive on a stockpile of freezer meals and eggs (seriously we probably eat more eggs than any family I know).

I thought this year, I thought I would begin my adventure of learning to love to cook... but it just didn't happen.

I did however cook this real meal last week and a tray of kale chips (and two trays of burnt kale chips... but we aren't going to talk about that:)).

Anyways... This is my recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers.

I will be honest, even though I don't cook much, I didn't use a recipe (this might be why my cooking is so hit or miss).  I just remember my mom make stuffed green peppers with rice as a kid and I thought… I could do that with red peppers and Quinoa:)

one

So first I browned a little ground beef and drained it.  Then I mixed it in a bowl with a can of stewed tomatoes.  I mixed in some spices (seriously, don't ask me how much… I don't even know… maybe I will measure next time ::).  I added Italian seasoning, garlic powder and ground cayenne pepper (we like everything spicy in our house, even BD).

two

While doing step one I put about a cup and a half of Quinoa on the stove (water to quinoa ration is 2:1 just so you know) and let it simmer for about 20 minutes… basically until it was done.  I also cleaned and cut the red peppers.  As you can see I did mine "boat" style.  This was not culinary genius, but rather my peppers were really long and skinny and they fit better in the pan this way.  And hindsight I also like how they provided more roasted red pepper per bite… and the look!

Three

One the quinoa was cooked I added it to the mixture.

four

Stuffed my peppers and threw them in the oven for about an hour at 350 (for me it was a little longer than an hour… I had some crispy quinoa edges if you look closely).

five

When they were about done I threw some cheese on top and let them broil for a minute while the cheese melted (watch very closely and don't le go to long or you ail have a burnt mess in your oven… sad but true!).

six

Enjoy! 

Linking up with meal plan monday at the organizing junkie!!!

Learning to love to cook...

Learning to love to cook... That's the plan at least.

 I have spent the last month or so trying to stretch myself and really cook... And hopefully enjoy it.  I have not gone too crazy, but I have been cooking myself more and that's the first step!  I have made spaghetti with meat sauce, baked "fried" okra, baked "fried eggplant," chicken fajita salad, and jalapeño grilled cheese among other things.  

Fresh corn and green peppers sautéed...

with chicken :)

Oven baked "fried" eggplant! 

Two things I have leaned so far...

First thing I've learned... GO TO THE FARMER'S MARKET! 

Seriously, they have the best produce, are local and often the same price as the grocery store!  We have been going each Saturday morning and planning our meals accordingly.  Bonus- our FM here in Statesboro has incentives!  The first and third time you get $5 of free produce... for 2 weeks Andrew and I got our produce free! :)
Second... improvise, but not too much, especially if you have never cooked much before! Improvising and flexibility are good ways to be flexible and inexpensive in the kitchen.  But you can't just through the recipe out the window or change things in a recipe when you don't know how!  The first two times I attempted the baked "fried okra... well let's just say I made up the recipe and they were no good!
For the next month I hope to cook more... and take more pics :) What have you been cooking? Any tips for me???

Learning to love to cook...

Confession... I don't like to cook. 

 It has taken me 4 1/2 years of marriage to admit this. When we got married all those years ago I thought I would love to cook and I started strong, but you can ask Andrew... he won't know when our last fresh cooked meal was.  I got into those freezer cook days to an extreme a while back and seriously have not cooked since!

Reasons I don't love cooking... See below

1. Expense- 

I am cheap frugal.  I don't like spending lots of money, especially on temporary things.

2. Time- 

The past few years I have been so overwhelmed by work that I almost never had time to cook. I also have this issue with trying to be "productive," I have never seen my time cooking as productive time.

3- My lack if precision- 

Something I have learned about myself- I am more of a big picture person than a details person. This past week, 2 of the best cooks I know (mom and younger brother) were watching me try to fry eggs. They both wanted to take the spatula from me. Last week I also made the ugliest batch of pancakes for Andrew and I.

4- Space-

We have had very small kitchens for the past 4 1/2 years... with no dishwasher!
Okay... All of that being said, I want to learn to love to cook!   I will be looking at grocery ads, Pinterest, etc. to find inexpensive, not time consuming, tasty meals. Join me in this journey!