Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

I don't know about you, but I am SO looking forward to the weekend. I hear we may even get temps above freezing for two consecutive days! Heat wave!

In our home, we celebrate Fridays with homemade cookies. And as promised yesterday, here is a yummy Cookie Friday recipe for you to try!

They have oatmeal, so you can even call them healthy.  ;)

CHOCOLATE CHUNK OATMEAL COOKIES

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar*

1/2 cup granulated sugar*

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats (quick-cooking would work too)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (we used an assortment of chunks, chips, and mini-chips)

*I always use slightly less sugar than what any given recipe calls for and they turn out great!

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

Beat butter and sugars, then beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add remaining dry ingredients except the chocolate chips/chunks; mix thoroughly. Gently stir in chunks and chips.

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop dough onto lightly greased or parchment-lined pan. You should get about 10-12 cookies per standard cookie sheet/pan. Bake about 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool 1-2 minutes and place on rack to finish cooling.

Most of the oatmeal cookies I've made call for a tablespoon or two of milk, but this recipe uses an egg yolk and more vanilla- the texture is a little different this way, and we really enjoyed them.

 

Yields about forty-five 3" cookies.

Just perfect for dunking!  =)

ps- does anyone know how to make your blog recipes that cute printable version? If it's super technical, then thanks anyway, but don't bother. ha ha ha
 
Looking for a rich, gooey, chocolatey cookie recipe? Check out THIS post!

sharing with:
chef in training

Finding Our New Normal and a Homeschooling Question

Hey folks! How funny that today of all days I begin to write about "schedules" and new routines and such, and then I realize that it's nearly 11:00 and we've done diddly squat so far today. My sewing was thwarted by some bizarre cuticle-bleeding incident. Groceries are still sitting on the store shelves because the dog didn't poop or urinate on his walk this morning, and I had to rush back home with him after drop-offs instead. Ethan had a headache last night and just got up a half an hour ago. And I have cramps. Oh, was that too much? Sorry.

You know what? Sometimes diddly squat is exactly what you need. Sometimes.

A teensy part of the problem may also be that I got sucked into reading adoption this and that, and now I'm feeling down. It's almost too overwhelming today. Here we are, aching to do a good thing, and it just isn't happening. God's timing, I know. I know. But it's still hard.

Sooooo...I would love to hear from you homeschoolers who (happily) keep a "looser" schedule. What kinds of things have worked well for you? Do you still use specific curricula? I really have little (zero) intention of adhering to a firm schedule. My boys are older, self-motivated, and avid readers, so I plan on giving them time and space in order to explore their own interests. I'm really looking forward to this kind of learning!

And to all the field trips. Let's be honest here.

Oh! Apparently my self-motivated eldest already completed a new Spanish vocabulary list before I sat down to write this. (Maybe it's just me having a diddly squat kind of day then! Now he's reading a thick historical novel about Nero and persecution, something I know I never read about in my high school years.)

And now we're going to watch a movie. I could call it educational. But I won't.  =)

I hope to be back tomorrow with a fabulous cookie recipe! Have a great day!

Time Management. (And a First!)

Yeah, I don't have any lately. That's my problem.  =)

Since this blog is mainly my online journal, I didn't want the day to get ahead of me without commemorating its significance. It's kind of a big day for us.

Today marks my first official day as a Homeschooling parent.

Wait a sec.

Today marks my First Official Day as a Homeschooling Parent!!!!!

You know how sometimes what you're saying doesn't actually sink in until you hear yourself say it? Yeah, same here.

I'm hopeful, excited, a little nervous, and eager to learn along the way. Poor/Lucky (however one might describe it) Ethan is the first guinea pig student, and Jonah will follow suit soon. We are still deciding what is best for Caleb and Isabelle, but we will continue to discuss and pray as we have thus far.

So I had better get that time management thing under my belt for good! Wish me luck! ;)

Here is a picture of my adorable 3rd grade Ethan, on our first albeit short-lived homeschool adventure.
Isn't he just the cutest little guy?

I'm much more optimistic about homeschooling this time around. The circumstances were different then. And I don't do well with small children. So there's that.  =)

I have to throw this photo in too...just look at those handsome little boys!
This was taken along the coast in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, near where my Dad grew up and we have various relatives scattered about. The tie-dye shirts C and J are sporting were their own creations from our trial homeschool art class a few days before. Those shirts fared better than the trial. ;)

Oh how quickly the years fly by. I intend on making the most out of them all.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Everyday Ramblings

I know, I know. When am I not rambling?

I just thought I'd pop in with our little happenings from the week. Quite possibly snoresville to anyone but me, but that's all right.

Do you know what's really kind of neat? Finding out fun/funny stuff about your parents that you never, ever knew. For example, just found out that my Dad belonged to not one but two bowling leagues in his glory days. And he didn't know what "bumper bowling" was...until he decided to take the boys bowling and had such a horrible score that they talked him into the bumpers for the second string. HA! Even funnier? His score didn't improve that much. Now that just makes me chuckle.  =)

'So Dad,' I innocently ask. 'Were you any good back then?'

And he laughs loudly, grins from ear to ear, and answers, "Nah, never was much good at it. But I owned a spiffy pair of bowling shoes!"

If you didn't just giggle a little, then there might not be any hope for you, because that was pretty funny.

Oh, and the girls had a date all our own during the Man-Bowl. We had an in-house beauty parlor party, complete with Little House on the Prairie and hot cocoa. In the family room. Living.On.The.Edge over here, let me tell you.

Moving on.

It has been so, so cold here this week, but oddly, the snow seems to be disappearing. It doesn't look much like it did on this stormy morning over the weekend.

 I love this sweet summer nightgown! It's listed here in my shop.
(There are some other ones listed, too, and some new items coming soon!)

I made a new header for my shop's Facebook page...what do you think?
Sweet Pea may be smiling here, but she and I had a rough afternoon/evening today. Whew.
There is a whole lotta fire in that cute little face.  ;)

You can see my facebook page here if you'd like.

I should have a post about my sewing area and our home office soon, and a little something we're finally finishing up in the kitchen! Have a great weekend if I don't "see you" before then!!!

Oh! I totally forgot something... the other day I discovered a terrible and offensive ad here on the blog and I was fuming MAD because I have blocked several types of ads as well as specific urls. The mister and I finally figured out how it was happening, since it had to bypass the blocks I have in place, and hopefully got rid of the awful ad. It's all very discouraging and I hope it doesn't happen ever again. Please know how terrible I felt about the whole thing- I'm sorry to anyone who had to see something like that on my blog.

Our world is so broken - as am I! - but I serve a perfect, patient and loving God, and good will prevail. But I have to admit that I get so discouraged by this particular issue, especially being a mother to young, impressionable boys - anyone else? I can't be alone in this, I'm sure, so how do you handle your discouragement/disappointment?