Monster Cookies: not new to Pinterest, but new to us!

A couple days ago I received a text from my older sister, "Have you ever had monster cookies?"

Being the cookie fanatic that I am, I did a quick recipe search.

They should call this the "Every Cookie" cookie. Its basically a peanut butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal, M&M, Peanut M&M cookie... all in one. Yes. Its intense. Its delicious. Its a diabetic-coma experience.

Here is the recipe we used with our own edits and instructions.

Monster Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 cup White Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Butter (Softened)
• 1 Cup Peanut Butter
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 3 cups Quick Oats
• 1 cup Flour
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Cup Peanut M&M's
• 1 cup Mini M&M's
• 1/2 cup  Milk Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer- beat sugars, butter, and peanut butter. We used a natural peanut butter that was very creamy, which made our cookies gooey and soft. Regular peanut butter will work fine.
3. Slowly mix in eggs one at a time and vanilla extract.
4. Add oats 1/3 cup at a time, baking soda, and flour 1/3 cup at a time until fully combined.
5. Stir in all M&M's and chocolate chips.
6. Scoop out with 1/4 cup measuring cup, and roll into a ball then flatten with hands until about palm size. 
7. Placed on lined baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes- till the outside looks done but the center is still gooey. After removing from oven, leave cookies on the warm baking sheet; this will help the centers to bake a little more.

Makes about 16 jumbo cookies. 

Happy Baking!

Kaylee

White Chili & Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Today is a perfect autumn day.

Bright leaves have begun to fall. The cool, crisp air smells like wood-fire stoves burning. And since early this morning the fog has been shifting through the hills and over the valley.

Its a chili-and-cornbread kind of day.
Here's our favorite...

White Chili

4-6 Servings

• 1-2 Cooke Chicken Breasts (Chopped or shredded)
• 1 1/2 tsp Chili Powder, Cumin, Oregano {I just do an even blanket of each across the onion}
• 1 tsp Salt
• Pinch of Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 Can Chicken Broth
• 2-3 Cans White Beans {Great Northern}
• 1 diced Tomato
• **Grated Cheddar Cheese and classic Cornbread Muffins.

1. Brown diced onion in a large pot with a little oil. Blanket onion with each of the spices and Worcestershire Sauce.
2. Add remaining ingredients, excluding cheese and cornbread. Warm on medium-high heat.
3. When ready to serve,  top each portion with shredded cheddar cheese and mash in a cornbread muffin.

For dessert.

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1/2 Cup & 2 tbsp Butter
• 3/4 Cup Peanut Butter
• 1/2 white sugar & 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 & 3/4 cups flour

1. Combine butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Blend together.
2. Add baking soda, salt, and flour with mixer.
3. Chill dough 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
4. Roll dough into balls and bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, 7-10 minutes {Until edges are very lightly browning- don't overcook!}
5. Chomp, chomp, chomp... enjoy. 

Little bit of Fall- 2013

My favorite thing about Fall is the decorating.
And the baking. And the eating.
And the fall candles from BBW.
And the cool {rainy} days that call for a good book and comfy blanket.
And the cuddling that comes with that.
And the natural inclination to make family time, both at home and extended.

But mostly... it's the decorating.
Creating a welcoming and cozy environment, and then savoring in all its pumpkin-y splendor.

Come on in for a quick, fall home tour.

Starting yesterday- new built-in book cases going in around the fireplace. Woohoo!!! Happy, happy.

Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Fall!