Comfort Food Edition: Twice Baked Potatoes

Sometimes, you just need carbs. Does that sound familiar to anyone else? Yesterday was one of those days for both Jase & I, so for dinner, I wanted to make one of his favorite meals- Twice Baked Potatoes! These little carb-happy dinner delights are easy, delicious, and will satisfy any comfort food craving. 

Please note: this is a picture from google and I feel like it has WAY too much cheese on the top...but you get the idea :)

I modified a Pioneer Woman recipe awhile back to include broccoli, and we love it! Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

8 potatoes, rinsed and scrubbed

1 stick butter

1 C Sour Cream

1 C bacon bits 

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Broccoli: as much as you want, cut into little florets with the stem removed

Lawry's seasoning salt

First, wash and scrub the potatoes. Poke a few holes in them with a fork and stick them in a 425 degree oven for 1 hour, 15 minutes. 

When the potatoes have ~20 minutes of cooking time left, steam your broccoli, drain, and then rinse with cool water to prevent it from continuing to cook and turn that pea-green color...I hate that. You want your broccoli to be deep green.

Cut up 1 stick of butter and throw into a big bowl with the sour cream and bacon bits.

When the potatoes are finished cooking, pick them up with a hot pad (be careful: they will be VERY hot!) and slice length-wise. Scoop out the insides, being careful not to break holes in the shell, and add to the bowl of butter/sour cream/bacon. Then, mash them all together! You can make the mixture as lumpy or as smooth as you want, adding milk for extra smoothness. Add Lawry's seasoning salt and pepper to taste, as well as the shredded cheddar cheese. Mix all together, and lastly, add the broccoli. 

Scoop the potato filling back into the potato shells and top with extra cheese, if you so desire. Pop those potatoes back in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until thoroughly cooked. Remove and enjoy!!

Double Broccoli Quinoa- My All Time Fav Recipe!

I can't believe that I haven't posted this recipe yet-- I found it a few years ago and it is easily my all time favorite dinner dish to make. In the past, I've made it for roommates, friends, my family, and Jase- and it's unanimously loved. Warm and full of yummy things, it's the perfect meal. 

Picture and recipe via

Ingredients: 

3 cups cooked quinoa*

5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems
2 medium garlic cloves
2/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 big pinches salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
Optional toppings: sliced avocado, crumbled feta cheese

Heat the quinoa and set aside (*instructions for cooking quinoa at the end of the recipe) 

Then, barely cook the broccoli by pouring 3/4 cup water into a large pot and bringing it to a simmer. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for a minute, just long enough to take the raw edge off. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking. Set aside.

To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, 1/2 cup of the almonds, Parmesan, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and cream and pulse until smooth.

Just before serving, toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli florets with about 1/2 of the broccoli pesto. Taste and adjust if needed, you might want to add more of the pest a bit at a time, or you might want a bit more salt or an added squeeze of lemon juice. Top with the remaining almonds, some sliced avocado, feta, or any of the other toppings!

*To cook quinoa: rinse one cup of quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa, two cups of water (or broth if you like), and a few big pinches of salt until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

Breakfast Scones!

I am a sucker for all things bread, and scones are definitely one of my favorite breakfast foods to make! I found this basic recipe on Skinnytaste, one of my favorite food blogs, and fell in love. You can easily substitute the blueberries for any fruit of your choosing. I made these with fresh strawberries one Sunday morning and it was heavenly!

Picture & recipe via

Ingredients: 

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 cup frozen butter

3/4 cups light buttermilk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400°.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Using the large holes of a cheese grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour. Mix well with flour. In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Using a fork, slowly stir in the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, until all the mixture is moistened. Fold in the blueberries.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drop large spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet (do not press or compact). Bake in the center rack 18 minutes. Remove and let them cool about 5 minutes before eating.

Rolo Cookies!

Picture and original recipe via

This is just about the easiest cookie recipe in the world. Not to mention the most addictive! 

Ingredients

1 pkg. Rolo's
1 box Devils Food Cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs. Take a small ball of dough and form a ball around the rolo. (Only use enough dough to cover the rolo so it can spread through the cookie.)

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen.

Let them cool for a bit then sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Enjoy!

Turkey Rice Soup

 

Perfect for the winter weather! I don't remember how I found this recipe, but I discovered a screen shot of it on my iphone last week and couldn't wait to try it! I made it for my family and they loved it! Plus the recipe makes so much that I had tons of extra to take over to a neighbor in need of a warm meal. 

 

Ingredients:

32 oz. cooked & shredded turkey

5 carrots, sliced or diced, whichever way you prefer

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 quarts water

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1 can cream of chicken soup

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups uncooked rice

In a large pot, boil rice, veggies, bouillon and water together for 20 minutes.  Add turkey, cream of chicken soup, salt and pepper and bring to a boil again.  Cook 5 more minutes and enjoy!

Quinoa & Brocolli Casserole

I'm back!

Seriously, I know it's been months since I've posted anything, but during my blogging hiatus I have gathered so many delicious new recipes... I'm excited to share them all with you!


I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I love quinoa. If you haven't had the delightful experience of trying quinoa yet, here's your chance.

I found this lovely recipe on Pinterest and modified it a bit....and it was a huge hit! I've made it several times now for Jase & I, and for my family, and everybody loves it. It's comfort food made healthy, and I love that. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• One 10oz can low-sodium Cream of Broccoli or Mushroom soup
• 1/3 c. reduced fat mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs milk
• 1 1/4 C. shredded cheese of your choosing- cheddar, colby-jack, etc. 
• 1/2 tsp Splenda or Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• Dash freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 C cooked broccoli
• 1 1/2 C cooked quinoa
• Parmesan Cheese

If you have never cooked quinoa before, don't fret. It's super easy. To make 1.5 C cooked quinoa, follow these steps: 

Rinse 3/4 C quinoa in a fine sieve. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa, 1.5 C water, and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook 18-20 minutes, or until fluffy and the white tail is visible. Fluff with a fork.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a shallow (8×8) casserole dish with vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, Splenda, pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.

Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish.  Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly on the edges and golden. 

Makes 8 generous 1/2-cup servings.

Carrrrrmelitos!

The best thing to ever come from an ex-boyfriend- his grandmother's recipe for these delicious carmel-chocolate-oat bars. SO good. We are going to make them tonight for some new neighbors, who I'm sure, after consuming said Carmelitos, will become our bff's. 

Ingredients

2 cups oats

2 c. flour

1 ½ c. brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 ½ sticks butter, melted

1 jar (Pint) Mrs. Richardson’s butterscotch caramel

1 pkg milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together, pour in melted butter. Mix well.

Spread half (or a little more) of mixture into 9 ½ by 13 in. pan. Bake for about 17 minutes or until golden brown. Right before you take the crust out of the oven, melt caramel in microwave for about 1 minute to soften. Pour caramel over top of crust. Then sprinkle on chocolate chips. (Make this as chocolately or caramely to your own taste). Spread the rest of the oat mixture on top. Bake for another 8 minutes. Let them COMPLETELY COOL and cut, at room temperature, into any size bars.

Roasted Carrots

Another winner from Pioneer Woman. Actually, from her friend, Pastor Ryan. Anyway, this recipe is magic. It takes about 3 minutes to get ready, and then for the next 40 minutes your home will be filled with the most lovely aromas...When the carrots are done, you'll be amazed at how sweet they are and you will dream of carrots this way...promise!

photo from here

Ingredients

• 12 carrots
• 1 handful of fresh thyme 
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the ends off of your carrots, then cut them in half lengthwise. It's important to try and make the carrots uniform size, because if they're not, some will be too crunchy and some too soft. 


Next, lay the carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss them around so they all get coated. Next, sprinkle the thyme on them, as well as a generous amount of salt and pepper. Arrange them on a baking sheet and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Fettuccine Alfredo

I have never been a huge fan of Fettuccine Alfredo, but it's one of Jase's favorites, and since he is eating real food again after a long two weeks of bland, soft foods, I decided to make it for him last night for dinner. I found a recipe over at Pioneer Woman's website, and it was amazing! I don't even want to think about how many calories are in it, so I won't. I halved the recipe and it was perfect for 2 people. 


Enjoy!!

photo from here

Ingredients

• 1 pound Fettuccine Noodles
• 1 Stick butter
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 Cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a saucepan or skillet, warm butter and cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Grate Parmesan cheese and place half of it into a large serving bowl. Pour warm butter/cream mixture over the top.

Drain pasta and immediately pour it into the bowl.
Toss a couple of times, then sprinkle in the other half of the Parmesan.

Toss to combine, thinning with pasta water if necessary.
Serve immediately as a main course or accompaniment to meat or salad.

Sauteed Zucchini!

I have been on a huge veggie kick lately (it's Spring and produce is fresh again!) 

Jase and I made this as a side for my birthday dinner. Neither of us could remember the last time we ate zucchini but I saw this recipe somewhere and thought it looked lovely. It did not disappoint! It was superbly easy to make (under 10 minutes) and is for sure one of our favorite veggie recipes EVER.

photo from here

Sauteed Zucchini

• Zucchini
• 1 tbsp (more or less, to your taste) olive oil
• oregano or other Italian herbs
• 1 glove garlic, crushed
• salt and fresh pepper
• lemon juice

Cut zucchinis in half, and then cut lengthwise until you have pretty thin 3-4 inch strips. Season with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add zucchini to pan, add oregano and sauté about 2 minutes on each side. Add garlic and cook another few minutes, until tender. At the last minute, I added some fresh lemon juice and it was perfect! Enjoy :)

Strawberry Summer Salad + Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

It was my birthday (22!) yesterday and Jase and I made an amazing strawberry salad inspired by my favorite at Zupas. Included were: Mixed (but mostly iceberg) lettuce, craisins, candied walnuts, strawberries, and bacon bits. It was delicious by itself, but what made it mouth-wateringly good was this amazing Vinaigrette recipe I found at Our Best Bites. It's fast, easy, and tastes wonderfully sweet with a bit of a kick- I even took leftovers to work today. Enjoy!

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

 

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. honey

1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (really, that’s pretty optional; it all goes in the blender)

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 c. canola oil

In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place lid on blender and blend on high. While blender is running, add oil in a steady stream. Store in refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. Shake well before serving.

Baby Pasta Shells with Asparagus

photo from here

 Jase had his tonsils out two weeks ago, so I didn't post any recipes during that time because our meals mostly consisted of mashed potatoes and jello and popsicles. 

Yesterday, I found this recipe here and loved it immediately. I am a sucker for anything asparagus, and Jase loves pasta, so I thought it would be fitting for his first "real food" meal since the surgery. It was so so so so delicious- I think it's safe to say it was our favorite pasta dish yet. 

Enjoy!

 Baby Pasta Shells with Asparagus *

*I modified the recipe slightly from the original by using Trader Joe's 3 Cheese Pasta Sauce instead of homemade marinara. Because that Trader Joe's sauce is addicting and wonderful and we love it.

Ingredients

• 8 oz baby pasta shells (gluten free use brown rice pasta)
• 1 bunch thin asparagus, tough ends removed
• 1 1/2 cups homemade marinara sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Boil about 4 inches of water in a large pot, when boiling add asparagus and cook about 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender crisp. Drain and chop into small bite sized pieces.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (you can use the same pot from the asparagus not to dirty too many dishes). Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Return pasta back to the pot and toss with marinara, asparagus, grated cheese, salt and pepper and a 1/4 cup of the pasta water or as needed to loosen the sauce. Divide between four bowls and top with fresh pepper and more grated cheese if desired.

Banana Bread

We had some extremely mushy bananas in our house today, so I turned them into the most marvelously soft and delicious banana bread! We don't have a bread pan, so I used muffin tins instead and they were the most excellent little treats. The aroma that filled our little apartment while they were cooking was absolutely mouth watering. 

I have no idea where this recipe comes from, but it takes literally 3 minutes to throw together and pop in the oven. I love it! 

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used homemade applesauce to make it healthier)

3-4 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

What to do

Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs and mashed bananas and beat. Add flour, soda and salt. Pour into greased glass baking dish for one large cake, or divide into bread pans or lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes

Lemon Broiled Asparagus!

Spring has (almost) sprung and with that means... asparagus is in season! 

I love asparagus so much. Jase and I have eaten it with dinner at least three times in the past week. My favorite (simple) way to make it:

Wash and pat dry asparagus. Cut off the bottom inch or so and place in a single layer on a tin-foil covered cooking sheet.

Drizzle some (I used less than a TBS) olive oil over the asparagus and roll them all around in it so they're equally covered. I have also seen some people simply spray it with cooking spray... but I think that's gross. Go for the olive oil.

Squeeze the juice of half of a lemon over asparagus, then sprinkle lots of salt and pepper on it. Finally, cover with desired amount of grated Parmesan cheese.

Broil on High for about 5 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown and the asparagus is tender. 

Enjoy!

Easy as pizza.

My amazing mama can be credited for this pizza recipe. It is one of my favorite meals from home! We make it at least once every two weeks....Jase and I love to roll out the dough and cut it with a heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 5" wide) for perfect "baby pizzas." Enjoy!


Dough Ingredients 


1 pkg active dry yeast (a small tablespoon)
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 Tablespoons of oil
2 and 1/2 cups of flour

What you do

Put the yeast in a bowl and add the water and the sugar. (sugar helps to activate yeast) and wait about five minutes. It should foam up just a little) A tip to measuring the water temperature is to keep your hand in the water as it runs and just before it gets too hot to keep your hand there, that is the perfect temperature)


After five minutes, add the salt and oil and flour. Mix it all up, give it a little while to raise (if you have time).


Then, roll it out, cut it into little circles and add desired toppings!

Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

Key Lime Tarts

I saw these on Our Best Bites and it was love at first site! 

photo from ourbestbites.com

They are the easiest, tastiest little treats I have ever made. Jase and I took them over to my parent's for Sunday dinner and they were a huge hit. 


Ingredients

10 mini graham cracker pie crusts (available near the regular 

graham cracker crusts in the baking aisle)

5 egg yolks

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Around 1/2 c. lime juice. 

2 drops green food coloring 

What to do 

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and lime juice. Mix well and add 2 drops green food coloring. Distribute among graham cracker crusts and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature, then chill in fridge until ready to serve.Add a dollup of whipped cream before serving and enjoy! 

Cornbread muffins

This is an amazing recipe from the Our Best Bites cookbook. It's a cake-like muffin you won't be able to put down! We had them tonight with chili and fresh asparagus and it was delicious. The recipe makes about 3 dozen muffins.


Enjoy! 

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix

2 boxes jiffy cornbread mix

eggs, milk and oil according to both packages (substitute all water for milk)

What to do

Combine and mix well.  
Bake according to cake package.  
Serve with honey butter.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Cheesecake Bars

I found this recipe on the Tasty Kitchen and knew I had to make it, because Jase and I are big fans of both Reese's and cheesecake...and a recipe with the two together? It looked amazing! I was a little nervous, because I had never made a cheesecake before, but this turned out unbelievably well... It was SO good. Like, take a bite and go "Oh, wow" good. The next time you are craving a some sugar, or you want to impress family/friends with your baking skills, I would definitely recommend these little beauties. 

 (To see the original (printable) recipe, please click here)

 

 

What you will need:

• 7 whole Graham Crackers, Broken Into 1-inch Pieces
• 6 Tablespoons (3/4 Stick) Unsalted Butter, Melted And Cooled
• 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• ⅛ teaspoons Salt
• 2 packages (8 Oz. Each) Cream Cheese, Softened
• ⅔ cups Granulated Sugar
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• ¼ cups Sour Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 12 whole (0.75 Oz Each) Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Divided, Cut Into 6 Pieces Each
• 2 ounces, weight Bittersweet Chocolate, Chopped (I used semi-sweet)
•  

What you should do:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

• Prepare an 8-inch square baking pan by lining the pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-4 inches of foil draping over the sides of the pan.

• The crust:
• Place graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the crackers form fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. To the crumbs, add butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Pulse until the ingredients are fully combined. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.

• The filling:
• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape the beaters and sides of bowl frequently. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until the mixture is combined, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs, one a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated. Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract until fully combined, about 30 seconds.
• Unwrap and cut 9 Reese’s peanut butter cups (0.75 ounce each) into 6 pieces. Gently fold into the cream cheese mixture. Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baking pan, over the top of the cooled crust. Spread evenly.

• Bake until the edges are set but the middle still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken slightly, about 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
• Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the bars to cool for 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours.
• Using the overhanging foil, lift the bars from the pan. Gently remove the foil and cut into 16 bars.
• Place bittersweet chocolate in a small bowl. Microwave on 50% power until melted, stirring every 15 seconds. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars, top each with a small chunk of a Reese’s peanut butter cup and serve.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I got this lovely recipe from a friend who promised it was the easiest, heartiest, best tasting stew around. She was right! It took me ten minutes to get everything in the crockpot, I left for school/work, and when I came home at 6pm my house was filled with the most savory aromas- seriously, my mouth was watering! Jase and I both agree it pretty much rocked our world. Enjoy! 

Crock Pot Beef Stew

1 pound beef stew cubes

4 carrots, sliced

4 medium potatoes, cut in large chunks

1 (1-oz) package dry onion soup mix

2 (10.75-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup 

(you could get light soup to make the stew healthier)

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

1 (10-oz) package frozen green peas

Mix all liquid ingredients in a medium bowl. Add all ingredients to a slow-cooker and cook on low for up to 12 hours.

Sugar Cookies

Jase and I are somewhat addicted to sugar cookies but have had lousy luck with a good recipe in the past. I found this one on a random blog (sorry, I don't remember the link) and tried them out for Valentines Day... they were perfect! A huge hit with Jase and I, plus everyone who had the good timing to come visit us that week. Simple, easy, and a perfect fix for any sweet tooth. 

I'm still looking for the perfect frosting recipe, however... any suggestions?

Ingredients 

2 C sugar
1 C soft butter
2 eggs
1 tea vanilla
1 C sour cream
5 C flour
4 tea baking powder
1/2 tea soda
1/2 tea salt

Instructions
 

Cream together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Roll out dough on a floured counter top. Place cookie shapes on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake 350 for 10 minutes then remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes and then remove from baking sheet to a wire rack, let cool before frosting.

Actually the perfect chocolate chip cookie

Credit for this amazing recipe belongs to my dear friend Alyx. She shared it with me about two years ago and I was immediately hooked. It's a little more work than your traditional choco-chip cookies, but it's also INCREDIBLE. Well worth the effort. Seriously, it's a huge crowd pleaser. Anytime I bring it anywhere I always get multiple requests for the recipe. The cookies are softer, sweeter, and overall have a better taste than most recipes.

May I also recommend using these chocolate chips in your cookies:

They're bigger than most chocolate chips, and they taste incredible, with no weird aftertaste (does anybody else have an aversion to chocolate chip aftertaste?)

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 3/4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 c unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 c Crisco (plain or butter flavored, I prefer plain)
1 c light brown sugar
1 c minus 2 T white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c chocolate chips

 In a small bowl gently mix the flour, salt, and baking soda until the ingredients are evenly distributed.  This allows the final dough to have an even distribution of ingredients without over-mixing it.  Set aside.

Using an electric hand mixer or a wire whisk attachment of a stand mixer,  cream the butter and shortening until light and fluffy 3- 5 minutes.  This gives the dough a better rise in the oven, making the cookies lighter. Butter is good for taste and shortening is good to make the cookie softer. 

Add both sugars and beat 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fully incorporated.

Switch to a paddle attachment or mix by hand with a sturdy mixing spoon.  Add the chocolate chips and mix gently.  Adding them at this point evenly distributes them without overmixing the final dough.  Do not over-mix or it will discolor the dough. 

Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.  This is the point when you no longer see white spots of flour.  Do not overmix!

Touch test the dough.  It should feel slightly sticky, but not much should stick to your finger.  If it is very sticky add 2T flour at a time.

Using your hands, roll the dough into balls. Work quickly so you don’t overwork and heat the dough. If the dough is sticky and doesn't form a smooth looking ball, you will need more flour. If you have to force it into a ball, it has too much flour.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 3 inches apart.  

Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. As soon as you put the dough into the refrigerator, position the oven rack to the second highest setting. Preheat the oven to 375. 

After 30 mins, remove the dough from the refrigerator and bake 8-10 minutes.  They are ready to come out of the oven when they are domed and puffy, show few signs of browning and look a bit underdone. 

Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes.  They continue to cook from the heat of the sheet. Remove them to a cooling rack so they will cool evenly.  They will continue to cook from  the heat of the cookie.