Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recently Mary asked for chocolate chip cookie recipe ideas on her blog which is here. I responded with my tips but now I think it is time that I share my favorite recipe. Now keep in mind that this is my favorite regular chocolate chip cookie recipe. My mom has a recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip coconut cookies that by far win my prize for best cookie of all time. I will share that recipe some other time, though.

Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. softened butter
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups bread flour
As many chocolate chips as you prefer

In a stand mixer cream butter, both sugars and the vanilla together. Add eggs one at a time mixing well. Add salt and baking soda and mix well. Add flour 1 c. at a time. Add chocolate chips and mix by hand. Chill for 1 hr. Drop by spoonfulls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 until just starting to brown.

Life Lately

So I have blogged about a few random things but not really about anything going on in our life. So here is my attempt to do so:

Wor is still working for Webassign and recently got promoted (yay)! He seems to be enjoying himself there and it is nice to have him working close to campus and to home. We are in the nursery at church and Wor is really enjoying it. I think he secretly likes to play with the trains and cars more than the little kids do. He is such a little kid at heart, he loves to play with my little brothers and sometimes I have to remind the boys AND Wor that its not the time or place to tackle each other into a wall.

I have been working and in school. As finals draw nearer I keep wanting to concentrate on Christmas instead of school. Hence why every single Christmas present has been bought and most wrapped and not a single final paper has been started. But in my defense I also have dozens of recipes to make and I have resisted doing so. I have had fun helping Rachel with wedding plans and even just looking at wedding stuff. Planning my own wedding was really not all that fun for me, but helping other people with their weddings is a blast for me.

Well anyways, that's whats going on in the Thongthai household...I know a post without mention of some 4 legged fluffy things named after Austen characters. SHOCKING!

Brussel Sprouts

Yes, brussel sprouts may seem like an odd title for a blogpost.

Yes, most people consider them gross, disgusting and a wee bit odd.

Yes, all of you brussel sprout haters are incredibly wrong.

Let me guess...like myself, as a little child you had a mound of little cabbage looking things placed in front of you at the dinner table. You think "oh cute, baby cabbages!" Then you take one bite choke and decide that baby cabbages are never entering your mouth again. When asking my dad, the least picky man in the world, about them this morning he completely agreed that they were gross. So brussel sprouts had never entered my mouth until yesterday. The thing is, last weekend while at the grocery store I saw a bag of little raw brussle sprouts. THEY WEREN'T FROZEN! I did not know such things existed. So I decided that I must try them. So last night I decided that we were gonna eat them and even if we did not like them that the rest of the meal would keep me from entering into culinary dismay for the night. So I made them...and you know what. They were darn good. I mean do you remember the bitterness of the little frozen ones that your mom nuked for a few minutes before throwing a little salt on and serving? Well these were like a completely different vegetable. They were nutty and not a bit bitter. The reason: they weren't frozen, no idea why but hey I will not complain about it. So I have included two recipes below. One for brussel sprouts and one for tilapia en papillote (the meal redeeming recipe). Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Rinse, trim and halve 1lb brussel sprouts. On a large baking sheet toss sprouts with olive oil to coat, salt and cracked pepper. Bake at 375 for about 30 min or until tender and begining to brown. Eat while pipping hot!

Tilapia en Papillote aka tilapia in parchment paper pockets

2 Tilapia Filets

1 Lemon

2 Tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

Cut 2 strips of parchment paper so they are about an 3 inches wider than your filets. Place each filet in the middle of the strip and top with lemon slices the butter and seasonings. Pull the parchment paper up and start folding it down until you reach the fish, make a nice firm crease. Fold each side in so that they are firmly creased and close to the fish. Bake on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 min. Open packets and dig in.

Watch for more recipes, I will be testing some holiday ones soon.