Doubletree Hotel Copycat Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Have you ever stayed in a Doubletree Hotel?  If you have, you KNOW their cookies.  They greet you with warm sweet cookies in the lobby.  This makes me vow to always stay in a Doubletree……sneaky aren’t they?!

I typically use the no fail Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe.  My husband is a “chocolate chip cookie purist” so whenever I steer far from the norm…..he’s not real excited about it.  Then, it happened….I found this recipe.  I may never go back.  These may be the cookies that my kids grow up eating.  My oldest daughter does not love the nuts in them, but that is easy to adjust.

Doubletree Hotel Copycat Chocolate Chip Cookies

*adapted from The Little Kitchen

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon juice

2 eggs

2 1/4 all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Pulse oats in a food processor until fine.  Set aside

2. Cream together butter and both sugars.  Add vanilla extract and lemon juice and blend.  Add eggs one at a time.  Beat together until mixture is smooth.

3. In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  MIx well and add to wet ingredients.  Stir with a spoon or spatula until blended.  Be sure not to over mix. 

4. Add in chips and walnuts and stir.  Drop by tablespoon or cookie scoop on to a plate and refrigerate 2-4 hours or overnight.  *do not skip the chilling step…..I promise it is worth the wait*

5. Preheat oven to 350 and place cookies on baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper.  Bake 14-16 minutes.  Let cool on pan before transferring to wire cooling rack.

* I store my cookies in a ziplock bag with a slice of soft bread to keep them from getting hard*

I also only bake half of the refrigerated balls and I freeze the rest in a bag labeled with the oven temp and time.  Perfect to have on hand for a cloudy afternoon treat. 

Sparkling Summer Lemonade

 

This is BY FAR the best lemonade I have ever served at  a party.  Enjoy!

Sparkling Summer Lemonade

Ice

1 cup Countrytime Lemonade powder

2 cups cold water

46oz can chilled pineapple juice

4 cans chilled Sprite

1. Dissolve lemonade powder in cold water and stir in pineapple juice.  Pour in Sprite and add ice.  Serve.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

 

Thinking of Hamburger Helper makes me think of spending summers at my dad’s house.  He always had Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper ready to serve up. 

As I learned to cook for myself and to read nutrition labels, I started to stay away from boxed meals and make things from scratch when I could.  I found this recipe on www.farmgirlgourmet.com. 

Talk about easy and delicious.  Seriously…..it didn’t take me any longer to make it from scratch than it did from a box.  You just have to do your own measuring.  No powdered cheese mix here folks.

We devoured this and sadly, there were no leftovers to send with my husband for lunch. 

Homemade Hamburger Helper

1 lb ground beef

2 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups hot water

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

pinch crushed red pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown the ground beef.  Drain fat and return to pan.

2. Add the pasta, milk, water, and spices.  Stir to combine.

3. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes until noodles are al dente.

4. Add the cheese and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Calico Beans

 

This is the perfect side dish for any bbq or family gathering.  In fact, we like it so much, I am known to make it as the main dish and serve it with cornbread and a salad.

These are not your grandmas baked beans.  These are over the top.  They are filling, rich, and leave you wanting more.  Don’t me scared off by the lima beans.  Normally, I wont go near lima beans, but they are a whole other creature in this dish.

Gather all your friends and family for a summer BBQ potluck.  Wow them with these beans.

Crock Pot Calico Beans

*Recipe courtesy of my Grammy*

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb chopped bacon ( I use precooked from Costco)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 1/2 cup katchup

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 lb can lima beans, drained

1 lb can kidney beans, drained

2 cans (1 lb each) pork and beans *not drained*

1. Brown ground beef and onion.  Drain and add to crock pot. *if you are using raw bacon, brown it with the beef*

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.  Cook on low all day.

Enjoy!!

CopyCat Passion Tea Lemonade

 

I LOVE the Tazo Passion Tea Lemonade from Starbucks.  When I am not pregnant, I usually get an iced latte or a refresher.  But, now that I am keeping the caffeine at bay and save my daily intake for my morning cup of coffee, I was wanting a substitute.  This drink is amazing!  And even better, I can make it at home for a fraction of the cost! 

You only need 4 things for this drink.  Lemonade, Tazo Passion Tea, Ice, and a sweetener of your choice.

It is simple to make this and have it ready on hand.  I boil 8 oz of water in the microwave and then steep 2 bags of tea for 15 minutes.  While it is still warm, I stir in 2 spoons of sugar (you can use any sweetener and as much or as little as you want)  I give it a taste to make sure it is nice and sweet and then stick it in the fridge.

When you are ready for a glass, just fill your cup with ice, and pour in the tea and lemonade.  I like a ratio of 1 part tea to two parts lemonade.  That is how they make it at Starbucks.  You can play with it as much as you like.

*I normally use Simply Lemonade, but the store was sold out.  This was a great substitute if you don’t mind a tiny bit of artificial sweetener.  I will continue to use Simply Lemonade in the future although this tasted exactly the same*

Enjoy your icy drink and the sunshine!!