The Best Just Got Better

Every Monday, my computer at work does it's virus scanning thing. I hate it- it slows down the computer's response time, the scanning takes forever, and worst of all, it keeps talking about cookies! So I've had cookies on my mind.
Once when I was meeting my sister at the movies, she brought me a chocolate chip cookie with coconut. It was fabulous! Since then I've been thinking about a chocolate chip coconut cookie and how much easier could it be than to just take what some say is the best chocolate chip cookie and toss in some coconut? That's what I did. Awhile back I posted this recipe. I'll bet you never tried it. Well, it's time! Come on!
A couple of tips in my humble opinion- don't make the cookies as large as the recipe instructs, and forget about the salt on top of the cookies. With the addition of the coconut, you don't need the extra salt on top, but be sure to use coarse salt not table salt in the dough. Also, my preference is to use 1 cup milk chocolate chips and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. I used chocolate chunks in these.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Jacques Torres
Time: 45 minutes, plus at least 24 hours chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note above on the chocolate I used)
Sea salt (I omitted this)
(I added 3/4 cup of sweetened coconut when I stirred in the chips)

1. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
2. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds (it took my dough about 20 seconds- yep, I'm slow like that). Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours (I couldn't wait- I made six cookies right away and then refrigerated the rest of the dough).
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls [I made mine smaller and only cooked them for about 11 minutes]) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt (or not!) and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes (or less!). Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.
Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies (or more if you make them smaller).
These were way good. I asked Bud if he wanted to split one with me after dinner. He was on his way out the door to mow the lawn so he said "not yet." Well, I ate my half plus his. It couldn't be helped.
Stop saving this recipe and start making it! You won't be sorry.

So Nice

I was going to take a picture of me standing next to this, posing exactly the way other lady was and ask you all if I looked as thin as she did, but I didn't want to set up the tripod, and Bud was busy. Besides, you don't really want to see me anyway when you can be looking at this alone. It was quite the project to set up, but I'm so happy now that it's done!
(Wylie- on the middle-sized shelf...Dinty Moore, Progresso soup, pears, chicken, pb, and pineapple juice are the items I found to fit.)
You'll see there's one row that is empty- black beans. I just realized that the case of what I thought were black beans were actually some strange concoction of black beans with a bunch of added ingredients making it a Caribbean recipe. I guess I know what I'm donating next time the boy scouts come around.
And, I'm going to try (can't guarantee it though) to not be so obsessive about the labels facing forward on this rotating system. Yes, I rolled them all forward for this picture, but I'm hoping I can just let the obsession go once I start pulling cans from here. I'll let you know how I'm doing later.

Pretty Pantry

Bud said I could buy it, so I didn't waste any time rushing to Costco yesterday to get the Shelf Reliance Food Rotation System (they call it an FRS- how clever). I also bought the Pantry Consolidator- 2 actually. Look how awesome it makes my pantry!

I cut the box up that it came in and made a little cover for the top of it so I could stack a few miscellaneous cans on top. Now I get to put together the big one in the basement!

Oops, A Day Late

I sent the card last week, so when yesterday rolled around, I didn't even consider the date, so I'm a day late in posting a Happy Anniversary to my youngest daughter! Sorry!

This was four years (and one day) ago.

She met him a couple years before they ever started dating or even had an interest in each other.

While I was away on a cruise with my husband, sister and bil, mom and stepdad, they refound each other and Laura was so anxious for me to get home so she could tell me all about Nick.
Now they have this wonderful little family, and life is good.

I hope your day was really special, just like you!

I'm In Love

Yesterday I came across a blog that I totally love because it's all about food storage, and by now, you should know how I feel about that! There are four people involved with the site and it takes you from the planning stage of storing to actually eating what you store, complete with recipes. I pretty much spent the entire workday there yesterday (oh- except for all the hours I spent doing my job at work, uh, um, yeah).

I'm quite sure I need this book. There is SO much information on this site and it is all so good. I've added two widgets on my sidebar so you can get there easily at any time.

P.S. Wylie convinced me that I need the Shelf Reliant rotation system. I also decided that I need a new electric grinder (I was still using my mom's hand-me-down which is probably at least 25 years old). I decided on this one and bought it on my way home from work yesterday.

I think I need a second job to afford all my needs.

Want or Need?

How do you know if something is a need or a want? I'm pretty sure this is a want, but I'm convincing myself it's a need.

Costco is having a special event. I know you want to know what they're selling that is so special it requires an entire event to handle it. Here it is. My friend has more than one of these. She let me barge into her basement to lust after it look at it.

Do you think I would look that thin if I owned one of these? I have the perfect place for it all picked out.
And then there's this one. I used to wear my hair just like that (except I parted mine on the left).

Oh, if my pantry looked like this, Bud would wonder where I was, because I'd be standing in my pantry admiring the view, for hours upon hours at a time. Why does this stuff bring me such happiness?

Isn't that just the neatest (sorry for the pun) thing? The Costco online prices are not as low as the prices currently advertised at the Murray Costco. I went into the store last Saturday to get some pictures of Agnes and Eliot (so cute!) and it took me an hour to get out of there because I couldn't tear myself away from these awesome shelving units.
If you go to the product's website you will see that the "sale" prices are even more expensive there. However, they have a food storage planner that can help you figure out how much your family would need to have for the length of time you specify. For fun, I calculated food for Bud and me for 24 months. It would only cost us......ready? A mere $7,798.49.

Oh my garden of roses!