Chicken Tacos

In an effort to keep my husband, WD, from setting up residence at any of the numerous taco trucks around town, I decided to venture away from the Old El Paso taco kits that I usually buy and make my own chicken tacos. The corn tortillas and toppings were a no brainer--the simpler, the better. Just a little onion, some monterey jack cheese, sliced avocado and a little cilantro. But I needed a recipe for some really flavorful chicken.

After searching around online I found the perfect recipe for shredded chicken at For the Love of Cooking. Pam has such great recipes including one for Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup that I'd love to try. And if you're looking for cookie recipes, she has many of those to choose from too, and they all look delicious. I'm so glad I found her blog. Now, I just need to find a recipe for Tacos al Pastor and WD can break his addiction to taco trucks for good!

Shredded Chicken (from For the Love of Cooking)

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and boil for 20 minutes (or longer--I've let it boil for an hour before which I blame on Twilight). Shred chicken with 2 forks after they've cooled.

Michelle Obama's Shortbread Cookies

Ever since the first Presidential Cookie Bake-Off in 1992, the winner of the bake-off has gone on to win the election. There was Hillary Clinton (with my favorite chocolate chip cookies) in '92 and '96. Then Laura Bush in '00 and '04. But 2008 was different. Cindy McCain won the contest with her recipe for Oatmeal Butterscotch cookies but she didn't make it to the White House. That honor went to the Obamas. And personally, I think Michelle should have won the bake-off, too. Her shortbread cookies are dense, full of citrusy flavor, and perfect with a cup of hot tea.

Michelle Obama's Shortbread Cookies (Bake-Off results are here)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (of course, I used salted butter)
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbs sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tbs Amaretto (I used 1 tsp almond extract)
1 tsp each orange and lemon zest
3 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg white
chopped nuts or dried fruit, optional (I used chopped pecans)

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Line a 17 x 12 x 1-inch baking pan with nonstick foil. In large bowl, cream together butter and 1-1/2 cups of the sugar.
2. Slowly add egg yolks, and beat well until smooth. Beat in Amaretto and zest.
3. Stir in flour and salt until combined.
4. Spread dough evenly into prepared pan, flattening as smoothly as possible.
5. Brush top of dough with egg white; sprinkle with nuts or fruit (if using) and with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
6. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes or until brown, turn off oven and allow cookies to sit in oven (with door ajar) for 15 minutes. Cut while slightly warm.

VERDICT: Yum! My mom liked them so much that she made a batch for herself earlier this week. The dough is kind of thick, you won't think that you'll be able to spread it all out in a 17 x 12 pan, but it can happen. The original recipe says that it makes 6 dozen cookies. No way it makes that many. I got around 2 dozen, as did my mom.

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

The Year of the Ox is upon us (January 26) so I decided to share the only Asian inspired dish I know how to make. It's sweet, savory, spicy, nutty, satisfying, and super easy.

Did you know I'm an Ox? Yep. I am. If you were born in 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, or 1997 you are an Ox too. We are patient, speak little, and inspire confidence in others. We also bring great sorrow and ruin to those who cross us. So you might want to think twice about cutting me off in traffic. Just sayin'.

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 bunch broccoli
2 TBS honey
1/4 cup stir-fry sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews, divided use
1 box (13.25 oz) whole wheat angel hair pasta

Cut up broccoli--just the florets--and put in a microwave safe bowl. Add 1/4 cup water, cover, and nuke for 6 minutes; drain.Cook chicken in a skillet over medium heat until done. Add stir-fry sauce, water, honey, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil then add broccoli and 1/4 cup cashews. Stir together then serve over cooked pasta. Top with remaining cashews. Enjoy!Oh, wait! Make this the second Asian inspired dish I know how to make--I forgot about my Peanut Sauce!

Paula Deen's Cookie Dough Truffles

When I saw this recipe on Paula Deen's show earlier last month, I though it would be a great dessert for Thanksgiving. So I made them and then...I promptly hid them. There was no way it could compete with my mother's pumpkin roll. This recipe needed some tweaking. Bad. I didn't want to just scrap the whole thing. I mean, cookie dough that won't send you to the hospital with high fever and severe abdominal cramps? This was a recipe worth salvaging!

First, I went out and got a cookie scoop. Paula suggests using your hands, coated in flour, to roll the dough into balls. That turned out to be a big, sticky, floury mess. Get a cookie scoop. Trust me. Second, use salted butter. And third, use a container of dipping chocolate to coat the truffles. I originally used almond bark but I thought it was way to thick and masked the flavor of the dough. Actually, I made half of them with just a little drizzle of white chocolate on top and they were my favorite. Look out, pumpkin roll!

Cookie Dough Truffles (Paula Deen's unaltered recipe can be found here.)

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
2 containers of Baker's dipping chocolate (1 milk chocolate and 1 white chocolate)

In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and add milk. Add chocolate chips and mix well. Using a cookie scoop, place balls of cookie dough onto waxed paper. Place in freezer.
After 2 hours, shape into more round balls with your hands. Using 2 forks, dip into melted chocolate and place onto wax paper. Refrigerate for an hour to set.

Egg Nog Pound Cake

Okay, hold on to your Santa hats, I have a confession. I don't like egg nog.

I don't know why because cream AND sugar? Together? What's not to like about that? Maybe it's the texture. It's like a milkshake that's been left out for awhile. Or maybe the idea of drinking raw eggs gives me the willies. I just don't like it.

My husband, WD, on the other hand, LOVES it. So I knew just what kind of cake to fix for his birthday earlier this week. An Egg Nog Pound Cake. The whole family enjoyed this cake. Even my 6 year old, the pickiest eater in the world. WD thought that the cake itself didn't have a very strong egg nog flavor so I made an egg nog glaze to pour over it. And the birthday boy was happy. Despite the 'Over the Hill' candle I put on top of the cake.

Egg Nog Pound Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix
3/4 cup egg nog
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
1/4-1/2 cup egg nog (for glaze)

Combine first 4 ingredients; mix on low speed in mixer until moistened. Add eggs and nutmeg. Beat for 4 minutes on high speed. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan or tube pan. Bake at 350 F. for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick insterted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with an egg nog glaze.

Toscana Soup

Have you been to Olive Garden lately? I haven't. The nearest one is over an hour away. And although gas prices have dropped considerably ($1.55!) that's still way too far to drive to eat. Even if it's for WD's favorite soup--Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana. So a couple of weeks ago when WD was craving this hearty sausage and potato soup, I bravely opened up my messy cookbook and found my own recipe.

3 Italian sausage links

3 large potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite size pieces

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cans chicken broth

4 cups water

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 TBS salt

3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cups kale

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Remove casings from sausage and brown in skillet. Add onion, potatoes, broth, water, garlic and salt to a large pot. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add sausage, bacon, kale and cream. Heat through and serve.

Rachael Ray's Steakhouse Shepherds Pie

Sometimes when I watch Rachael Ray's show 30 Minute Meals, I think, "You've got to be kidding me." I mean, is she running out of ideas, or what? Really, who thinks of combining macaroni and cheese, beer, chopped up hot dogs, ketchup and mustard? That's a miss. A big disgusting miss.

But to be fair, she has some hits too. Like this recipe for Shepherd's Pie. I happened to catch it on her show last month and I've already made it 3 times. Add a side of green beans or corn and some bread and it's great family dinner. And even though I've made it 3 times, I still have yet to get it under 30 minutes!

Rachael Ray's Steakhouse Shepherd's Pie (original recipe is here, my version is below)

Gravy:

2 TBS butter

2 TBS flour

1 1/2 cups beef broth

2 TBS steak sauce

pepper

Meat

2 lbs ground sirloin

8 oz container mushrooms, sliced

1/2 onion, chopped

salt

Potatoes

3 large baking potatoes

3 TBS sour cream

3 TBS chives

4 slices bacon

Bring peeled, cut up potatoes to a boil in salted water.Add sirloin, mushrooms, and onion to a skillet and salt to taste. Cook until meat is browned and liquid is gone.In a small sauce pan over medium heat melt butter, whisk the flour into butter, cook 2 minutes then whisk beef broth into flour, add steak sauce and pepper, to taste. Thicken 6 to 7 minutes. Pour gravy over meat mixture, then pour into a baking dish.Drain cooked potatoes and add sour cream and chives. Add a splash of milk so it will be easier to spread. Mash and then spread over the meat mixture. Top with nuked, crumbled bacon.

Pumpkin Soup

So yesterday I posted a picture of my messy, unorganized cookbook. It's full of recipes I've torn out of newspapers, ripped out of magazines, and jotted down on envelopes. I've got dozens of recipes that are just waiting to be made. Recently, I decided to go through them to see if I could thin out my collection a bit and I ran across a recipe for Pumpkin Soup. I had torn it out of a newspaper (Irene Wassell's food column in the AR Democrat-Gazette) way back in December of 2005. And since soup weather has now arrived, I decided to give it a try.


And...it's a keeper! It's thin but creamy and delicious with buttered french bread. The flavor combination of pumpkin and onion is wonderful and the spices aren't overpowering like I worried that they might be. I can't wait for the weather to get even colder so I can make this soup again.


Let's see, that's one clipping down, 1185 to go.


Pumpkin Soup


1/2 cup minced onion
2 TBS cooking oil
1 TBS all-purpose flour
1 tsp curry powder, or to taste (I used 1/2 tsp)
1 (16-oz) can pumpkin
1 TBS brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, or to taste
2 cups half-and-half


In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until translucent. Add flour and curry; stir until well mixed with the oil.Stir in pumpkin, brown sugar and nutmeg. Add broth and creole seasoning and whisk until smooth.Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add half-and-half and heat until hot. Do not boil. Serve immediately.

Homemade Dog Treats

I've had dogs for 10 years now and throughout that time I've made several homemade treats for them. Carrot cakes, oatmeal cookies, cheese puffs, but my absolute favorite is the Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits. They're easy, healthy, natural, crunchy and taste great. As a matter of fact, when LP and I made them for Lexie's birthday a few weeks ago, we ate 4 of them drizzled with a little honey!

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuit (original recipe from Sacramento & Co.)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup natural peanut butter

1 cup skim milk (I used 2%)

Mix dry ingredients. Mix milk and peanut butter, separately. Combine. Roll out to 1/4" thickness and cut shapes. Prepare cookie sheets with non-stick spray. Bake at 385 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cool and store airtight in the refrigerator. Best if allowed to come to room temp first.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Someone needs to tell the tomatoes that it's almost November. My dad's 4 tomato plants are still producing even though they are far from pretty. But they're still edible. And if you just can't imagine dining on bruschetta or fresh tomato and mozzarella salad in October then go ahead and freeze up a batch of homemade tomato sauce before you pull up those tomato plants for good.

10 large tomatoes
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

Score with an X and drop into boiling water. When the skins start to peel back, place tomatoes into an ice bath. Remove tomatoes from ice bath and peel off the skins.
Squeeze out the juice and seeds.
Put into a blender and add sauteed garlic. Blend till smooth. Pour into a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. After 1 hour, add salt, sugar and Italian seasoning. Simmer for another hour uncovered. Makes about 3 cups of sauce.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

There's a drawer in the refrigerator that's full of nothing but Newcastles. That's WD's drawer. Then there's another drawer in the refrigerator that holds my treats: cheese sticks, cheese slices, parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, feta and cream cheese. I like cheese. Cheese just makes everything...better.

So instead of the usual pumpkin pie this holiday season, try this recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese pie from Betty Crocker.

Pecan Shortbread Cookie Crust
1 1/2 cups lightly packed crushed shortbread cookies with pecans (16 cookies)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Filling
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (I used a total of 12 oz)
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (didn't have 'em, didn't use 'em)
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 tablespoon milk

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, mix all crust ingredients until crumbly. Press firmly on bottom and side of ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake about 12 minutes or until light golden brown.

2. In large bowl, beat sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and both packages of cream cheese with electric mixer on low speed until smooth; reserve 1/2 cup. Add all remaining filling ingredients except milk to cream cheese mixture. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl constantly, until smooth. Pour into crust.

3. In small bowl, mix reserved 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture and the milk. Spoon over pumpkin mixture. Cut through cream cheese and pumpkin mixtures with knife in S-shaped curves in one continuous motion. Turn pie plate one-fourth turn and repeat. Cover edge of crust with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.

4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Cool 30 minutes. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator.

VERDICT: Mmmmmm! This is how I'm going to make pumpkin pies from now on! I would recommend storing it for at least 24 hours though--not just 4. The extra time hanging out in the fridge took away the overpowering pumpkin taste and made it taste more like a pumpkin cheesecake, which was the taste I was hoping for.

Soft Molasses Cookies

I can't decide if I like Autumn or not. I get taken in by the cooler temperatures, the reds and golds of the changing leaves, and a break on my electric bill. But then there's the spiders. Lots of spiders. And that weird dew/condensation thing happening with your windshield where you have to get the temp just right inside your vehicle to be able to see. I don't like that.

Oh, you know another thing I like about Autumn? The perfect Fall combination of molasses cookies and a hot cup of coffee or tea. I'll suffer through the spiders for that.

Soft Molasses Cookies (from recipezaar)

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Stir in egg and molasses and mix well. Fold in dry ingredients and stir. Cover and chill till firm (1-2 hours). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into small balls and roll in white sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Leave on sheet 1 minute until set.

Four Layer Delight

Time for a classic! My mom used to make this for Thanksgiving every year when I was growing up. As a kid, it was the highlight of the meal. But then along came the early '90s. A time for change. A time to wear lots of flannel. A time for mom to put aside my beloved four layer delight and start serving a pumpkin roll. So now anytime I want this dessert I have to make it myself. And although it will always be Four Layer Delight to me, it's also known as Baskin Robbins, Robert Redford Pie, Mississippi Mud, and Texas Yum Yum Pie.



1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans (plus extra for garnish)
12 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
2 small boxes (3.9 oz each) instant pudding (I used chocolate)
3 cups milk
1 container Cool Whip


Mix flour, butter, and nuts. Press into a square baking dish. Bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1/2 of Cool Whip. Spread over cooled crust. Mix pudding with milk and pour over cream cheese layer. Spread the remaining Cool Whip on top and garnish with extra pecans. Refrigerate for a few hours.

Quiche Lorraine

Remember back in January when I told the story about my grandma hobnobing with Paris Hilton? I had mentioned how we had celebrated WD's birthday at a restaurant there in Altus, AR (where A Simple Life was filmed) and WD just went on and on and on about their onion soup. While he was raving about the soup, I was raving about what I had ordered. The Quiche Lorraine. Bacon. Cheese. Onions. You can't get better than that. Oh, wait, you can! When you make it into a pie!

Ready to bake pie crust

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese ( I used sliced)

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

4 large eggs

2 cups whipping cream or half-and-half

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp ground red pepper ( I didn't use any)

Bake pie crust in pie plate according to package directions.

When done, set temp to 325 degrees F. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion onto pie crust.

In a bowl, beat eggs slightly; beat in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie plate.

Bake 45-50 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Cake In A Mug

Have you ever wanted just one piece of chocolate cake? Not a whole cake where you would be tempted to eat the whole thing in 2 days--then feel guilty for the next 2 weeks--but just one piece of chocolate cake. Just a little something to keep you company while you pay the bills, or after you put the kids to bed, or while you watch your laundry pile up. Well, here's a recipe for a chocolate cake in a mug that gives you the 'chocolate-pick-me-up' you may need to tackle that load of laundry.

3 TBS all-purpose flour
2 tsp cocoa
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 TBS sugar
2 tsp veg. oil
2 TBS water
1/4 tsp vanilla
latte mug
frosting

In a small bowl, sift first 4 ingredients together. Then add last 4 ingredients and mix well. Spray the inside of mug with cooking spray; add cake batter. Put in microwave for 2 minutes. Top with frosting, a homemade chocolate glaze, or chocolate syrup.

Corn Relish

Mmmmm...corn relish. I look forward to this stuff every summer. One bite of this sweet, fresh relish makes me want to slap my grandma. Figuratively speaking of course! My grandma is the cook that hands out jars of this relish to my mom, sister, and myself every year so slapping her would not be a very polite thing to do. Especially if I'm expecting to get anymore next year. There's quite a bit of ingredients and chopping involved but it does make a lot (8 pints) and is totally worth it.

2 quarts fresh whole kernel corn
1 quart shredded cabbage
2 cups sugar
1 quart apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbs dry mustard
1 tbs mustard seed
1 tbs celery seed
1 tbs tumeric
1 tbs salt

Mix all ingredients in a big ol' pot. Simmer for 20 minutes. Pour into jars. Store in refrigerator. And when you take that first bite, please refrain from actually slapping your granny, okay? That's just an expression.

Crockpot Chili

My last 4 food posts have been desserts so how 'bout a little protein, okay? How 'bout a big bowl of chili? I know, I know, chili recipes are like blogs--everybody's got one. But this one's my favorite. It's chunky with just the right amount of spices. And there's no standing around a hot stove since it's fixed in a slow-cooker. A definite plus this summer. Enjoy!


Crockpot Chili


1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 TBS chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can water


Brown ground beef. While beef is browning add rest of ingredients to crock pot. Add cooked beef and stir. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Blackberry Brulee

What's better than creme brulee? Creme brulee with fruit!



Our house is surrounded by blackberry bushes. As the berries began to ripen, I wondered what I could do with them this year. Blackberry cobbler? Naw, yummy but too...predictable. Pan Roasted Venison With Crushed Blackberry-Ancho Chile Sauce & Sweet Potato-Toasted Pine Nut Polenta? Um....no. I'll leave that to Bobby Flay. I need something that's easy and inexpensive. Something like Blackberry Brulee!

Although picking blackberries can be a little bothersome, the chiggers and thorns are totally worth it when you taste this sweet fruit combined with rich, creamy, warm, vanilla custard.

Blackberry Brulee

1 cup blackberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 TBS cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tsp packed brown sugar

Place blackberries evenly in bottom of four 10-ounce ramekins.
Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in half-and-half. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thick. Stir in vanilla. Spoon over blackberries. Sprinkly 1 tsp brown sugar over mixture in each ramekin. Broil a few minutes or just until brown sugar is melted.

Sour Cream Coconut Cake

The last time I had made this cake was for WD's birthday a couple of years ago. I've really been craving it lately so Father's Day was the perfect excuse to make it again. This cake needs to be prepared a couple of days in advance. That way, the sour cream has time to mellow out and not taste so 'sour creamy'. Which means, if you have a 4 year old like I do, you get to hear "I want cake! I want cake!" for 2 days straight.



Sour Cream Coconut Cake


1 box white cake mix (plus ingredients on back of box)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
1 (8 oz) container extra creamy cool whip
3 cups coconut, divided use


Bake cake according to package instructions using 2 (9 inch) cake pans; cool.
In a bowl, mix by hand powdered sugar, vanilla, sour cream and cool whip. Save a small amount of coconut for sprinkling on top of cake. Stir remaining coconut into icing. Spread between cake layers. Sprinkle reserved coconut on top. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.

Hillary Clinton's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Remember 1992? End of the Road by Boys II Men was #1 on the radio, Aladdin was the top grossing movie of the year, Jay Leno replaced Johnny Carson as host of the Tonight Show, and a little show called The Real World made its debut. It was also the year I moved away to college and had pancakes for dinner every night. But let's not dwell on that.

1992 was also the year that Hillary Clinton (in)famously said, "I've done the best I can to lead my life. I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas." Well, the Republicans jumped on that quote like me on a pancake and accused her of belittling stay-at-home-moms. So in order to make amends, Hillary agreed to a chocolate chip cookie bake off between her and Barbara Bush. And, unlike her bid for the democratic presidential nomination, Hillary won. Here's her winning recipe:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup shortening

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray baking sheets lightly with cooking spray.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.

Beat together shortening, sugars and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy.

Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and then chocolate chips.

Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or till golden. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

VERDICT: We loved them! Although they were thin, they were very chewy and ooey and gooey. I left out the oats because I didn't have any on hand. The next time I make these I probably won't add any either. Very yummy and dare I say, better than the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I posted a few weeks ago!