Got Milk? 7: Chocolate Chip Butter Cookies

So.

J's favourite kind of cookies are chocolate chip.  The ones on the back of the Nestle bag; not a recipe I have ever made.  I KNOW.  When I announce that I'm going to make a batch of cookies, he hopefully looks at me and asks if they're going to be chocolate chip.  Usually, I say no.  There are so many interesting cookies to make!  

Speaking of interesting cookies, I have this magazine from 2009:

While it has bounced through 2 moves with me, I have never made any cookies from it.  Not so anymore!!  I have been flipping through it this week and finally found something that might satisfy both J and his chocolate chip penchant and me and my desire to make new things.

These cookies are reminiscent of shortbread, and are full of chocolate chips.  How could that be bad?

I present to you now Janis Gruca of Mokena, Illinois' Chocolate Chip Butter Cookies:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Rocky Road Bars

So.
I made these treats a while ago.  I try and make something most weekends so that we have a treat to eat after dinner to eat most nights.  Those weeks I don't, we seem to go for frosty chocolate milkshakes; especially in summer. But with something like this in an airtight container sitting on the counter, we're a whole lot less likely to go running off.
J tells me he's not big on marshmallows, but these seemed to disappear quickly enough.  I liked them because they mixed up in a pan and were quick to put together.  Most people would like them because of their sweet top layer.  I added them to my list of things checked off for the Magazine Challenge.
I present to you now from the October 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Rocky Road Bars:

Souper Sunday: Wonton Soup

So.

My bank account is running short.  The good thing about this is that I get paid on Wednesday.  The other good thing about this is that I am forced to use up the things that lurk in the back of my freezer from other things I planned to make and didn't quite get around to.  A case in point is this soup. 

According to the package, I froze the small, thinkly sliced pork loin almost a year ago after buying it on special.  My guess is I bought it because I was thinking of making this soup and then didn't have it on the menu so froze the pork.  Likewise, I had the wonton wrappers hiding in the back of the fridge behind the yogurt.  I'm not sure how long they've been there...probably a shorter time than the pork, but who knows?

Scary, isn't it?  Those things you buy and don't get around to using?  We try very hard here to not waste food, but there are times when something gets left too long and isn't safe to eat anymore.  Secondharvest.ca says that Canadians waste $27 billion in food every year, with 51% of that being wasted in the home.  Those are scary numbers, and ones I don't want to contribute to.  This recipe used up some of what had been lingering in my house too long.

I don't suggest waiting as long as I did to make this.  It's delicious.  Looneyspoons recipes always are.  I subbed pork for the chicken, but otherwise made it as is.  J and I both enjoyed it the first night and subsequent days for lunch.  And at the end of the day?  No waste.  It's all good.

I present to you now the Looneyspoons Collection's Obi Wonton Kenobi Soup:

Finally It's Spring! (Pasta)

So.
Have I mentioned how enamoured I am with PC Points?  Probably not.  I know I mentioned them on Facebook one night, and heard from friends who have saved them up as well.  J and I managed to save over $200 this past year in points.  We spent them once at the beginning of the summer to buy our supplies for a big summer kickoff BBQ.  The second time was the week before Christmas; where we stocked the larder with expensive things we don't buy very often as treats for the holidays.
One of the recipes I planned over the Christmas holiday (and I'm finally getting around to sharing) was what we had for brunch Christmas morning.
For Christmas this past year, J and I went to family Christmas with my dad's family Christmas Day, stayed overnight at my mom's, and then brought Mom back with us to the mountain.  We had our actual Christmas on the 27th, with presents and brunch and a big fancy dinner.  It's the advantage to no kids - you can open the presents any day you choose.
When I got my copy of the 2015 Milk calendar this year, I flipped through looking for things that I might like to make.  This was one of the things that caught my eye, which is weird because it has some things in it that I don't make or cook with very often.
I don't buy smoked salmon very often.  Frankly, I think this is the first time I've ever bought it.  My comment was that in this dish it almost tasted like bacon, which would be a good, cheaper option.  I also had the chance to try my hand at making poached eggs, something I'd never done before.  It was a lovely dish - especially in the winter when you're waiting for Spring.  Or now...when it's Spring...and you're waiting for...Spring.
I present to you now from the 2015 Milk Calendar Finally it's Spring Pasta:

Got Milk 5: Lemon Oatmeal Creme Cookies

So.
According to the calendar, it's Spring.  As we determined on Monday, to me, Spring tastes like lemon.  Summer tastes like grilling and gin, but that's beside the point.  But lemon...bright, sassy lemon.  It's one of my favourite dessert flavours in a pie, or a cake, or a cookie.
I think it's the fact that lemon is a palate cleaner.  It's so refreshing after a meal of big flavours.  It doesn't take a lot, but just a little to jazz up chicken soup or give you a little pucker and cut the sugar.  Someday, I'll wax poetic about chocolate.  It's darn tasty too.
But when I saw these cookies on Crumb I knew I had to make them.  Fresh oatmeal cookies stuck together with tart lemon icing?  Yes please!
I present to you now Crumb's Lemon Oatmeal Creme Cookies:

Secret Recipe Club: Lemon Eclairs

So.

It's time again to celebrate Spring with another edition of the Secret Recipe Club.  What's this?  It's a group of bloggers who get together and are assigned a blog in secret, then choose a recipe to make, and all reveal what we've made from each other's blogs at the same time.  Fun, right?  I so enjoy getting the email every month with the blog that I am to stalk and choose something to make for the first Monday of the month.
This month, I was assigned the blog Casa Costello.  Helen is from England, has 3 gorgeous girls, and bakes.  A lot.  She has beautiful cakes.  I considered a wide variety of cupcakes and desserts before settling on these lovelies.  Things like Marshmallow Brownie Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes, or this Walnut and Coffee Battenburg Cake.  Everything looked lovely!  I'll have to come back and make more!!
The nice thing about reveal day is that it's right after Easter.  I volunteered to bring dessert with me to my mom's for Easter - more people to help eat up what I've made!  Lemon always makes me think of Spring, and these are delicately lemon.  Just perfect for a light dessert after too much other good food.
In the tradition of all good SRC recipes, this one took me out of my comfort zone by tackling something I've never made before:  choux paste.  While choux sounds crazy simple, I've never had reason, nor been brave enough to try my hand at making it.  It is dead simple, and worked out lovely.
Helen, I read your recipe, and then turned to You Tube to make sure I got it right.  The recipe is more Tante Marie's, but the filling and ganache are all yours!  Thanks for a lovely Easter dessert!
I present to you now from Casa Costello, Lemon Eclairs: