Recipe of the week

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened--almost melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk-chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
1/4 cup toffee chips

Directions:
Cream softened butter and butter w/wooden spoon. Add eggs. Mix in salt, vanilla and baking soda. Mix in flour. Mix in cocoa. Fold in chips.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing. They will be gooey but if you keep in oven too long they will over bake and be too hard. Store in airtight container. Enjoy!

Best Children's clothing

Mostly infant and toddler clothing. I know nothing beyond 4 years old. Here is a list of my favorite brands for certain types of clothing. I have shopped around for this stuff a lot in the last 4 years. And I look for the best quality and style at affordable prices. I never buy anything at full price. Give me your opinions too!

Carter's: reasonable price and great quality
GAP: high price (but have excellent clearance), the most stylish, great quality
Walmart (Faded Glory): cheap price and cheap quality. stylish. The waists bands stretch really quickly. Some have expandable waist band which is a bonus.
Ralph Lauren (found at Ross or TJMAXX): Great quality but not enough to always buy it for the cute little pony. high price.
TCP: reasonable price, stylish, cheaper quality on some things.
Old Navy: same as TCP
Gymboree: higher price (have excellent clearance), stylish, high quality.

Best basic white onesie: Carter's
Best graphic onesie: Gymboree. They are super soft and have strong snaps (though they are a little too close together)
Best socks: for newborns, the cheapy white kind that have the little row of balls at the top. The kind that keep them on their feet. But for infants and toddlers I like TCP. I used to swear by GAP but Samuel got holes in his just from wearing them in the house. TCP are very similar to GAP. Actualy, though, right now they both cost $2 a pair when you buy them in multiples. They are both triple roll. Gymboree and Old Navy claims they are triple but they are dinky. Some kids w/fat ankles may not do well w/these. Try the sporty ankle kind from TCP.
Best boys jeans: TCP all around for price, quality, style. Osh Kosh is a good brand but they get holes in the knees like the rest so I don't think they're worth the price.
Best Jammies: Carter's all around for all ages. Don't buy TCP--lame, thin and broken zippers. GAP are overpriced and run small.
Girls pants:(non jean) TCP and the GAP. Gymboree has some good ones too.
Skirts: GAP, Gymobree.
Girl's Shorts: Old Navy and Gymboree
Boy's Shorts: Gymboree.
Girl's shoes: Target, TCP (for cheapy ones)
Boy's shoes: Target or TCP or Walmart snow boots, GAP flip flops
Dresses: Jillian's Closet (?) from TJMAXX.

I only shop sales. Kohls has excellent sales, end of season clearance and on Carter's stuff. Of course Costco usually carries Carter's stuff too. If you prefer to shop online look for promotion codes, even the expired ones have worked for me. TCP has shipping for $5. GAP has specials for free shippping w/a minimum purchase of usually $100 but sometimes less. And each of these places exchanges or returns. and TCP has done it w/o the receipt although the cashier was kind of upset about it. But it says on the online receipt that they allow it. And I have been tempted to order $100 worth of stuff from GAP and just take half of it back to the store bcse sometimes they have cheaper prices online or offer a bigger selection and vice a versa.
Hope this helps! Happy shopping!

Recipe of the week

Quiche

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 ready made roll out pie shell
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper (black is fine too)
pinch of ground nutmeg
about 1/2 tsp dried basil
about 1/2 cup grated cheese, preferably Gruyere or swiss

meats:
your choice of shredded chicken, or lunch meat or about 4 slices cooked bacon, cut into small pieces or combination thereof

frozen spinach, thawed (enough to cover half of the bottom of pan)

Directions:

Place pie shell in quiche dish or pie dish. Heat in oven for about 6 minutes or just until golden brown. Be sure to have enough hang over on edges bcse it tends to shrink down and will then allow the mixture to get under the crust...making for a soggy quiche.

Meanwhile, mix all ingredients, except for meats, cheese and spinach in bowl.

When pie shell is ready place spinach, cheese and meat, evenly over bottom of quiche. If you have too much of these ingredients, you won't have room for the liquid mixture. It should be just enough to cover bottom of quiche.

Then place that on oven rack and gently pour mixture into tart pan. Gently slide rack into oven and bake for about 35-45 minutes. It should be golden brown to dark brown on top and not jiggly in the middle!

Serve w/sauteed green beans seasoned w/salt, pepper, and lots of butter. Add some whole or slivered almonds into it!

Bon appetit!

TCP

The Children's Place

15% off until March 9th. Webcode: E18MY7BAAT28

OR

webcode: E18MY7K1AK28

Picaboo

25% off orders of $100 or more! until Feb 29th. Use code FEB25H

Picaboo

Valentine's boxes

We made Valentine's Day bags for FHE. We signed a few Cars cards and put them in each bag. Luckily our door is metal so I just stuck them to the door w/magnets. We can leave each other notes and read them to each on V-day. What traditions do you have?

Recipe of the Week

Cafe Rio salads




MEXICAN SALAD BAR (similar to Café Rio and Bajios)

Tortillas (uncooked from Costco)
Pork, chicken or beef
Grated cheese
Lime cilantro rice
Romaine and/or red leaf lettuce
Pinto or black beans
Corn, frozen, thawed (Costco)
Guacamole or avocadoes
T omatoes
Mango or other salsa
Olives
Lime cilantro dressing

PORK, CHICKEN OR BEEF

4 lb. meat (approx) – cook on medium heat in crockpot all night, break apart next morning and add:
1 qt tomato sauce or enchilada sauce or salsa or tomato soup, diluted
2 garlic, pressed
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. cumin
3 c. Dr. Pepper or Coke (2 cans)
3 T. molasses
½ t. salt
Continue cooking on low for a few hours

LIME CILANTRO RICE

1 qt. water, boil
2 T. butter
1 t. salt
½ t. cumin
1 lime, juice from
2 T. cilantro, finely chopped
2 c. rice – simmer for 20 minutes

LIME CILANTRO DRESSING

1 package ranch dressing mix
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. mayo (half can be sour cream)
1-2 garlic, pressed
5 green onions or 2 T. finely chopped onion (opt)
½ bunch cilantro, finely chopped or use food processor
2-3 tomatillos, finely chopped or salsa verde
½ lime, juiced
4 t. sugar
½ t. salt
½ jalapeno or 1/8 t. cayenne or other

PINTO OR BLACK BEANS

2 c. dry beans, cook on high in crockpot over night in abt 6 c. water, drain and rinse, then add:
3 c. tomato juice or tomato soup, diluted
4 garlic, pressed
2 t. cumin
1 t. salt
¼ c. olive oil
¼ c. chopped cilantro and 1 onion (opt)
Cook on low for a few hours.