very naughty double chocolate cookies

we've been baking ... and our recipe to share is less on the healthy side of the spectrum and more on the indulgent ...

a few years ago i received the donna hay simple essentials chocolate cookbook for my birthday from hubby ... we have discovered some really yummy recipes ... definately ones best kept for special occasions when you can share the love with your guests ...

time to share ... so here's one of our favourites - double chocolate cookies

ingredients:

110g unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (i use essence)

1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

1 teaspoon bicarb of soda (baking soda)

1 cup of plain flour, sifted (i use salf raising flour and omit the baking soda)

125g dark chocolate, melted

280g dark chocolate, extra, roughly chopped (i use the chocolate drops/chips)

method:

preheat the oven to 160C (320F) ... place the butter and sugar in the bowl and beat with an eletric mixer for 8-10 minutes or until light and creamy ... add the egg and vanilla and beat for a further 3-4 minutes ... stir through the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and melted chocolate ... add the extra chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) and stir to combine ... roll tablespoons (if you want massive cookies - i only do about half a tablespoon) of the mixure into rounds ... place on baking trays lined with non stick baking paper, allowing room for the cookies to spread, and flatten slightly ... bake for 10-12 minutes or until slight cracks have formed ... cool on wire racks ... makes 16 - using the smaller portion, my batch made 42

i can highly recommend these to anyone who loves chocolate ...

we made these on tuesday ... and i believe we have about 5 left in the barrel ;)

you're invited ... please come

nutty natty has passed on the baton ... it's my turn to host a party ... i would not say i am a very experienced host, so this should be interesting ...

you're invited to my blog party

when: as long as you're here before monday the 9th of august at 7.00pm

what to bring: well it's a share party ... i'd really love some biscuits ... and you don't have to bake to share ... just share your favourite ... whether its a homemadie, mum-madie, shop-madie or packaged ... whether you share a recipe or a where-to-buy road map ...

what to wear: thats up to you ... unless you plan on posing with your biscuit, then fancy dress is always good

where to go: just put together a post about your favourite biscuit, let me know where to find you (in the comments bit at the bottom) and i'll happily let you in

* the 'i'll show you mine if you show me yours' must apply here ... so i promise hope to don the apron and make an enormous mess in the kitchen with my bears our favourite biscuits during the next week and share it with you all 'anyone out there' ...

soup crazy

nutty natty would like to know about our favourite homemade soup ... well, i decided to have a bit of a soup weekend ... and i knew the bears would just love it - NOT ... but, bears aside, i was determined to give this a go ... so i got together a few recipes (available by clicking on the links) and started a serious soup making mission ...

PUMPKIN SOUP (hubby rating 5/5)

first up t and k's pumpkin soup ... i actually made this one about two weeks ago ... and i have to admit that i didn't follow it to the letter ... i used sweet potato and as i didn't have any cummin or corriander in my spice rack, i just threw in some of my favourite herbs and spices ... it was very easy to make, and tasted delicious ... it is the same pumpkin soup my sister is talking about here ...

FRENCH ONION SOUP (hubby rating 3.5/5)

thursday ... french onion soup ... this one brought me a great deal of tears (4 onions worth of them) ... i remember going on a school excursion to a cooking school and for entree we were served the most yummy french onion soup ever, since then i have always wanted to make my very own ... it was very easy to make, and i was happy with how it turned out ... it must be served with a grilled cheese toastie of some sort ... and this soup is definately an entree dish ... it isn't a soup i plan to make again in the near future (but at least i have gotten it out of my system) ... i should add that over consumption of this one may have smelly repercussions ...

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SOUP (hubby rating 4.5/5)

friday ... my own chicken and vegie soup ... this is the soup we usually have regularly over the winter season ... i forgot to take any photos, and the leftover frozen portions don't look great on photo ... i also don't really have a recipe ...

i can say that the essential ingredients for my chicken and vegetable soup are:

• 2 packets of chicken noodle soup mix,
• carrot, celery, and onion (all chopped) and grated swede
• noodles (whateva i have in the cupboard) 
• chicken meat (which i get from the chicken used to make the stock but in a hurry you could buy a roast chicken) 
• chicken stock (i make my own, but if you were in a hurry you could use bought chicken stock)

this time i used leftovers of yesterdays french onion soup instead of adding onions like i would normally do ...

my mum and my sister-in-law make awesome chicken soups ... for a creamier texture, my sister-in-law adds a can of cream of chicken soup ... and my mums soup usually has a greated variety of vegetables (broccoli, turnip, parsnip) and herbs than mine tends to ...

POTATO AND LEEK SOUP (hubby rating 4.5/5)

sunday ... potato and leek soup ... very easy and super yummy ... our guests loved it too ... i served it with some crunchy bacon slices and some croutons ... hubby rating aside, this was probably my favourite find for the weekend ... i may need to add that i am a bit of a potato fan ... it's the hamelink genes ... i can't believe i have never thought to try this one before ...

TOMATO AND MEATBALL SOUP (yet to be hubby rated)

and today, tuesday, i have a pot of the sewing belles super easy tomato and meatball soup simmering away on the stove ... this photo was taken just after i had put all the ingredients in ... it is thickening up nicely and smells delicious ... and i have taste tested it and am looking forward to a bowl of it tonight ... i actually had a different meal on my meal plan, but this smells so good i can't just put it in the fridge/freezer for another day ... at least i have dinner mostly sorted :) ...

my favourite side to a yummy soup is a slice of fresh bread with cheese or a crunchy bake-at-home roll ...

on my to make list is still a minestrone, pea and ham, miso and a mushroom soup ... but i think i'll wait a while before i take on any of those ... i'm kinda souped-out at the moment ;)

thanks nutty natty ... the soup section of my recipe folder is now a bit thicker ... and we've enjoyed a weekend of yummy soups ...

share the joy project

mandy has a little project running, the challenge is to make a little list of the things that brings us joy ...

amongst other things, these are some of the things that bring me smiles:

1. faith ... and the knowledge that God has a purpose for me, for my life
2. hubby ... i love the fella to bits
3. cuddles from baby bear
4. three year old bears big stories ... told in his own special language only mum understands
5. four year old bear using big words ... words he doesn't understand ... as a result makes absolutely no sense whatsoever
6. laughter and giggles
7. family ... just enjoying eachothers company whether it is just being with my boys (all four), time with hubby all to myself, out with my sisters or dinner at my parents
8. saturdays ... for their sleepins and long uninterupted morning showers
9. clean feet in my favourite socks
10. watching home movies and looking at photos ... with the exception of the in-laws rafting video ;) (just kidding)

thanks mandy for reminding us ... happy day everyone :)

our favourite dinner recipe

i hope i am not too late ... my sister has extended an invite to her blog party ... and, as is the norm for me pre-social function, i am rather nervous ... anyways, here is our favourite dinner recipe, hope you enjoy ...

master blaster

this recipe is based on one i found in a good taste magazine a couple of years ago (also available online here) with a couple of our own 'adjustments' ... in our house, it guarantees empty plates (even from our fussiest bear) ... as a result it appears on our menu once a fortnight ... sorry, but it is not ella-ble (unless you have a substitute for cream) ...  

photo is not of my own master blaster but the original recipe ... we actually had master blaster last monday, the day before the challenge started, so this is the best i can do :) ... 

ingredients:

• 2 and a 1/2 cups penne pasta
• 2 chicken breasts, sliced
• 4 rashes of bacon, rind removed and thinly sliced
• big handful (or a cup) of button mushrooms, sliced
• handful of baby spinach leaves, chopped
• a teaspoon of garlic
• 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
• 300ml whipping cream
• 1/3 cup white wine (or water)
• half a teaspoon of chicken stock powder

how it comes together:

put pasta into boiling water and cook for required time ... meanwhile, heat frying pan with a small amount your choice of 'grease' - margarine, butter or oil ... throw bacon into the hot frying pan ... when the bacon is starting to brown add chicken ... once chicken is nearly cooked, add mushroom, spinach, mustard and garlic and mix well ... when the mushroom is starting to soften, add stock powder and stir ... add wine/water and cook, stirring regularly while the liquid reduces ... stir in the cream ... and when the cream starts to boil add the cooked pasta, mix together and heat through ... and ta-da, you have made a master blaster ... best served with garlic bread and a garden salad ...

* our adjustments: we added spinach and omitted the spring onions ... we also use chicken breast instead of thighs ... and we have streamlined the cooking method (the original recipe has you cooking in stages and i rather less dishes and shorter cooking time)