I'm basically Julia Childs

Ok ya'll. So, this post might come as a surprise to most (if not all) of you. Since Adam and I got married, I have been on a cooking/baking kick. It is pretty much non-stop and I REALLY enjoy it! My specialty are cookies and I have made all types, so thought I would share the wealth of knowledge I have gained and share some of my favorites!

Sidenote: Adam LOVES cookies- I call him cookie monster because he will eat 10 at a time in one sitting and them complain how his stomach hurts. Me on the other hand, love the dough. Typically I don't even try the finished product because I am stuffed from eating the dough. So Adam and I make a great cookie-team.

1) I LOVE boxed cake mix- like you buy from the grocery store. As a kid, I would sneak a box of cake mix out of the pantry and just eat spoonful after spoonful of it. I literally could not get enough of the goodness. I was absolutely thrilled when I found a recipe for cookies that uses cake mix! Who would have thought?! They are super easy to make and this is the one cookie recipe I may have eaten more of than Adam.

Cake Mix Cookies
1 package vanilla flavored cake mix
2 egg yolks
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Beat egg yolks and margarine together until well blended. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add cake mix while beating with an electric mixer. Mixture should be stiff. If it is sticky to the touch, refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Form teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls, and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 11 minutes.

**With this recipe, you can use any flavor of mix you want. I think next time, I might try strawberry**

2)Honest-to-God the Best Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies EVER!!!!! I have been working on this recipe over some-time. The first time I made these, was in Dallas when I lived with Elizabeth. Literally (not lying) her, Adam, and anyone else that tried them said they were the BEST cookies they had ever eaten. I think this is probably Adam's favorite.... I would suggest baking these after a long fight when you know it is your fault, or just to brighten some one's day- because you will be queen for a day with a couple dozen of these suckers... now, like I said, I have experimented with these over the past few years and think this is the best I can make them... hold on... have to figure out where I wrote it down. Be right back.. K found it, on the back on the KSU football schedule. LOL.

Honest-to-God Best Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies EVER

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour

2 teaspoons of vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups oats

1 cup Choc. Chips

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees.

Cream together the butter, brown and white sugar until smooth. Beat in one egg at a time then add vanilla. Combine separately, Flour, Baking soda, salt and add slowly to cream mixture. Mix in the oats and choc. chips and bake for 12 mins.

3)Pretty Dang good basic Choc. Chip cookies. I just made these this week for the first time. I have been searching for quite a while on just a great, basic choc. chip recipe. I feel like whenever I bake choc. chip cookies, they just turn out fine, not great. These were pretty fabulous and would recommend them!

Pretty Dang Good Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies:

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

These have been my favorite cookies baked so far. Other thing I have baked are:

• Cinnamon Rolls- from scratch... they were a flop due to the altitude, I think... need to adjust this somehow... made homemade icing with these, though, that was the BOMB :)
• Butter Cookies
• Brown Sugar Cookies
• Buttermilk Biscuits (which I was forced to do because I didn't want the Buttermilk Adam bought to go to waste)
• Vanilla Brownies
• Coconut Cookies

On to Cooking:

Well, since I have done so much baking, I have also started to experience my culinary side and make some main dishes as well. I have really surprised myself! For those of you that know me, before marriage- I NEVER cooked, I mean NEVER and didn't think I enjoyed it. Well, I have proven myself wrong.

I am not going to list out all the recipes that I have made, but please email me if you are interested (emilyagriffin@gmail.com) in making any of these and I will email you the recipe.

• Chicken Enchiladas- Recipe from Nichole Yocum... AMAZING. I have cooked these a few times. Once just for Adam and I and the other time when Adam's friends were in town. Big Hit! Just as good as restaurant and super easy and fun to make
• Chicken Linguine- Recipe from Liz Ruck. Very Yummy! I have made it with Chicken and with no meat at all, just broccoli and tomatoes.
• Awesome/easy Chicken and Rice with some veggies all baked together in the oven
  
• Another Enchilada Recipe... Spinach, Mushroom and Cheese enchiladas. The more you cook, the better understanding you have of what goes together, what temperature and how long to cook things, etc. I made this recipe up as I went along so I am very proud of these :) simple and absolutely mouth-watering. I am planning on making them again this week and just made these on Sunday for Adam and Phil Mann. Here is this recipe:
  

Spinach, Mushroom, and Cheese Enchiladas. This will make about 10ish

A lot of spinach (probably at least 2 boxes full or 2 heads, depending how you buy it) A lot of mushrooms (at least 8oz.), maybe about 1 half onion, 4 garlic cloves (minced). Cream cheese, sour cream, enchilada sauce (I used green chilie sauce cause they were out of this at the grocery store), Jack shredded cheese and mexican cheese. Oh! And Tortillas of course... the 6 inch ones

Preheat to 350 degrees. Take a 9 x 13 pan and cover the bottom of it with the enchilada sauce and put aside. Put a little olive oil in a pan with the garlic and onion. Get that goin. Next, put in mushrooms to start cooking (few mins )and then add the spinach. I added some taco seasoning to this mixture, I think it won't matter either way. Lastly, Add the cream cheese (about the whole block) and a dallup of sour cream. Mix all together. Get your tortillas ready. Put some of the mixture on the tortilla, cover the mixture with the Jack cheese, roll and place in pan. Continue until mixture is gone and you have your enchiladas all lined up. Cover the enchiladas with enchilada sauce, so there is a layer on the bottom and over the top of them. Put lots of shredded mexican cheese blend and jack cheese on top and stick in over for 20-25 mins. Serve!