The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

My friend Callie posted this recipe several years ago, and since I hadn't found a great recipe yet, I thought I would give it a try. We were not disappointed at all! It has become our family's favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. I've only tried one other "Best Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe after this one and it didn't compare. The trick with these, is to not over bake them. They will sit on the pan for a few minutes to finish up before you take them off. That seals in the perfection. 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 Cups plus 2 Tablespoons Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
12 Tablespoons Real Butter (1 1/2 sticks unsalted), Melted and Cooled
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Packed, Brown Sugar
1 Large Egg plus 1 Egg Yolk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Chips

Preheat the Oven to 325. (We have tried 350 but 325 does work better.)

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the whole egg and egg yolk and mix well. Add in the vanilla and mix. Continue to mix as you slowly add in the flour mixture. Turn off the mixer and add in the Chocolate Chips, and then stir by hand. Use a cookie scoop or drop rounded scoop fulls of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 10-14 minutes. Our oven does about 13 minutes. Don't over bake. You want them to look lightly brown and very soft. Leave them sitting on the pan for several minutes before removing to cool. This will finish the baking process for the cookies.

*As a side note, Kevin made these a while back. He didn't read the directions and hasn't made cookies before, so he put all the ingredients in, including the chocolate chips and mixed them all together at once. He didn't separate the ingredients and mix them in at the "correct" time. I was proven wrong, and they turned out delicious. Maybe even a little more so than the original recipe because the chocolate chips were torn apart a little and the chocolate was dispersed all throughout. I still can't bring myself to make them this way, but don't worry about them not turning out!

This makes 3-4 dozen. I freeze the leftover cookie dough and bake up a few when I am in the mood. They still turn out great. 

If you haven't found "your" Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe yet, Give these a try. I don't think you will be disappointed. 

Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

It's beautiful in Idaho right now. The summers are beautiful and the weather is much more tolerable than our time in Vegas. We are having a lot of fun swimming and checking a few things off our Summer Bucket List every week. Today we are sharing a family favorite meal that is perfect for serving during the summer. 

I am a recovering picky eater. I have spent my life avoiding most foods. The list might overwhelm you, but within the past 2 years I have actually started branching out and trying new things. This meal is one of those things. My neighbor brought over a small cup of this salad, a while back, and begged me to try it. I tentatively tried a bite because I don't like salad or the dressing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved it. I liked it enough that I ate the whole cup. Ever since then, we have been making this meal for dinner. My kids inherited my picky eating, but they like this meal as well. It's the only cabbage recipe we have so far. 

Chinese Chicken Salad

We double this and serve it in warm Corn Tortillas

For the Salad

1 Package of Crushed Ramen Noodles (save the Chicken flavored seasonings for later)

2 Tablespoons of Slivered Almonds

1/2 Cup Chopped Mushrooms (Or 2 Medium) (I usually leave these out)

1/2 Head of Cabbage, Chopped (Or 1/2 Bag)

2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds

1 Cup Cooked Chicken Chunks

Brown Sesame seeds in a dry frying pan. Once browned, put them in a large bowl and set aside. In a frying pan, add 3 Tablespoons Peanut Oil and the Crushed Ramen Noodles and brown over medium/low heat, stirring frequently. Empty the browned noodles into the bowl with the sesame seeds. Add the chopped cabbage, cooked chicken, almonds, and mushrooms (optional). Set aside and make the sauce.

Sauce

3 Tablespoons Japanese Rice Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup peanut oil

2 Tablespoons Sugar

Package of Flavoring from the Ramen Noodles (Chicken Flavor)

Stir in a bowl and toss over the salad. Serve in a wrap or warm corn tortilla. 

One Thing We Do Regularly That Makes Our Children Feel Special...

We are a large family and we have a lot of kids that need individual attention. We spend so much time as a large group that there are times I worry about each of the children getting enough attention. It is something I try to be aware of and I do better at certain times and terrible at other times. I know I am not alone in this, even parents of one kid want to make sure their child knows they are loved. 

For me, I feel that nights are a challenge for quality time together. We do homework, practice our instruments, prepare for dinner, do any obligations we have, and then it is already time to get ready for bed. So many nights I am looking at the clock wondering where the time has gone. I wonder, "Did I really sit down with this child and talk to them about their day?"

I went around and asked the kids recently what Mom and Dad do that made them feel special. The answer that most of them had was "My night".  

Quite a few years ago, My mom told me of a great idea she heard from someone at Church. Once a month, on the numerical day the child was born, they have special one on one time with their child. For instance, if their child was born on June 3rd, then the 3rd of every month would be their child's night. I thought this could be a fun idea so we tried it out. 

At the beginning, we would have one parent take them somewhere of their choice. For our budget, it had to be pretty much free. The kids would choose the park, or a place where they could see fish or animals, or something they were interested in. If we (and they) were lucky, we would finish off with an ice cream. We tried having one parent do a month, and the next month would be the other parent. This method never really worked for us. Leaving the house was hard and then what happened when other things came up? We couldn't keep it up so we stopped for a while. 

After feeling like we needed to start it back up for a while, we tried again, but kept it at home instead so we could both do it together with them. For our family, staying home is what worked. 

So far, this is what we have come up with. 

1. Generally speaking, their night will be on the numerical day they were born. We can and do change the date if we have other plans, but we pencil in the changed date so we don't forget. 

2. We put the other kids to bed at 8pm and then the child staying up, gets 1 hour with Mom and Dad, at home (most of the time). 

3. The child gets to chose what we do. Some want to play board games, some want ice cream and a movie, some want to play a game on the Wii, some want to jump on the trampoline outside, or go for a walk around the block. 

4. Something new we started recently is that the kids get to pick the dinner, within reason. When I menu plan, I ask them what they want if their night is in the 2 week period I am planning at the time. Sometimes they request things no one likes, it is too time intensive for the night, someone else asked for it, or it is too expensive. I try to say Yes most of the time, but there are times I say, "Nope, Pick something different". I was worried, at first, that I would get 6 Pizza requests, but they have been good about picking legit dinners. 

5. Their Nights are not Conditional. They can't lose them based on their behavior. There have been times that they had to do a make up chore or get their task finished when their night started, and we helped them, and it dipped into their time. They had less time doing something fun, but they still had that time with us. I normally have no problem with them losing privileges when they need to learn a lesson, but this is one exception I make. Their Night can't get taken away from them. 

We make an effort to spend time with the children on a daily basis, but this has become something really special for our family and for the kids. Even with us having 6 kids, this doesn't take too much from our lives, yet it enhances our relationship with each other and really makes them feel special. They look forward to their night every month. My oldest son writes it on all of his Calendars and my youngest asks frequently if it is her night yet. We haven't skipped their nights for 2 years since we re-changed it. It is that important to them. A lot of our friends, neighbors, and children's teachers get to hear about their "night" because the kids are so excited about it. 

I don't want this to be the next "thing" you feel like you have to do. If you want to, your life will be enriched, if you can't, then find something you can do to spend quality time with your child, and do it regularly. I am a believer in doing things that are manageable. I couldn't keep something up if it was just too much. This is what works for us. Welcome to Lessons From Our Life :)

Ocean Week at Preschool

Ocean Week at Preschool

A few years ago I got some shells from San Diego when we were there on Vacation. I always plan an Ocean Week because of them. I love pulling them out and the kids love looking at them and exploring them. 

I like to have out flashlights and magnifying glasses as well

We rolled out a piece of butcher paper and traced the items we had and the kids had to match the object to the traced image. 

Catching Letter Fish. 

The kids had to throw them back if they didn't know the letter (but they could ask for help). 

We did an Experiment with Salty Water vs. Fresh Water and learned which is easier to float in. 

We made sharks and played a letter game as each child got to pretend to be a shark. 

The kids painted an ocean on paper and added a few fish..

The kids made an Ocean in a Bottle. They learned how the waves moved, how to make the color blue by adding 2 different colors, and how some liquids don't mix. 

Then we had a little fun and talked about pretend things in the ocean and made Mermaid Tails. 

In the past we've made a Jellyfish and an Octopus Counting Craft. 

Shark Letter Review - Ocean Theme at Preschool

Shark Letter Review

As I was planning for our Ocean Theme at preschool, I saw the idea of making a shark out of cardboard. I got one of our large boxes and drew the outline of the shark and used a knife to cut out the mouth. I cut out triangles for the teeth and the kids did the rest. 

They loved the making of it just as much as the playing with it. Some colored the shark and some put the teeth on. Because the box was large enough, we made 2 sharks so we could have more kids play with it. 

The kids each took turns being the shark and then being the ones to feed the shark. 

The kids feeding the shark had to say the letter fish before the shark would eat it. The sharks had to check the fish to see if they got the letter right. 

 We kept this out for a while because the kids enjoyed being sharks. 

Ocean in a Bottle

 Ocean in a Bottle

We had Ocean Week at Preschool and I saw the idea of making Ocean in a Bottle. It was a great way to teach the way waves move in the ocean as well as teaching that some liquids don't combine. Water and Oil separate and don't stay mixed together. We also had to figure out what 2 colors make Blue Water. This is just an overall great Science Lesson. 

You can use larger bottles or just what you have on hand, which for me was water bottles. My kids put in beads that we had as well. You can add sand or sea shells for an awesome effect. 

You fill the bottle about a 1/3 of the way with oil, such as canola, and then add in 2/3 water and blue food coloring. I added super glue to the top of the lid to help keep it closed. I would hate for that to spill on something. 

Ocean Egg Float Experiment

Ocean Egg Float Experiment

We had Ocean Week at Preschool where we learned about the many different types of life that lives in the Ocean. We learned that the water there is different than in lakes and what we drink. It is quite salty! I saw the idea here. We started out with 2 Mason Jars and filled one with salt. Then we asked the kids their predictions. Some kids thought the egg would turn different colors (Easter) and others thought nothing would happen. A few guessed right. 

I used some of our Real Salt (aff link)  because it has the natural minerals that help this experiment. I didn't want to use too much of it though because it is more expensive than Table Salt. Then I filled the rest with the table salt. Note in the picture above, that was not enough salt! The egg sank so we had to add maybe double that. We used raw eggs. Note: The salt water was quite cloudy for a while before it cleared up and the salt sank to the bottom. 

The conclusion: Things float easier in salty water vs. fresh water. 

My older kids enjoyed seeing this when they got home from school

Mermaid Tails

Mermaid Tails

I was planning our Ocean Theme at Preschool and I came across this idea for making Mermaid Tails. I have a group of girls very into this so I decided we had to do this! I picked up some diabetic socks at the dollar store, (ha, they worked the best) and I cut out cardboard in the shape of Mermaid Tails. 

The kids decorated them how they wanted and we added glitter to make them sparkly. 

I used rolled up duct tape on the back of the cardboard to attach it to the socks and it held on good. 

The girls had so much fun doing this. My son ended up making Dinosaur Fins instead of Mermaid Tails. 

Father's Day Ideas- The Master List

Father's Day Gift Guide

This Post Contains Affiliate Links

Father's Day is approaching and I've already been asked what we plan to do. It is hard to come up with ideas on the spot and we have, hard to buy for, Fathers in our lives, so I sat down with Kevin and we came up with a Master List of ideas. You might not find an exact idea on this list, but I hope it will get your thinking juices flowing to come up with ideas for the Fathers in your life. 

The best thing you can do is to LISTEN to the little things they say throughout the year. Do they mention things they are interested in to you? Do you see them stop at a store and look at something for a while and comment on an item? Do they mention annoyances from things and products throughout their day that you can fix or replace? Are they missing essential tools for the things they are interested in? Are they planning a trip soon that they could use gifts for the upcoming event? Still can't think of any ideas? Scroll through the list to find ideas that might work. I tried to group them together but some items can go in several categories, so you might need to look in a few categories to find the right idea. 

Sentimental

• Card or Letter letting him know just how important he is and how he has helped and inspired you in your life
• Pictures for his home or for the office of his family
• Book Made of a family event, family history, or pictures of the family (old or current)
• Spending Quality Time with them, doing what they love. 
• Make them their favorite Dinner and Dessert
• Do chores around the house for them so they don't have to (Give the Dog a Bath, Wash the car, Have the Car Maintenance Done, or Yard Work)
• Engraving something or Personalizing a frequently used item
• Preserve Family Memories from Film to Digital
• Lunch Date
• Cd or Playlist made of their favorite Music
• Picture Slide Show with their favorite music or music that describes your love for them
• Have Your Family Pictures Taken

For the Car

• Audio Books for when they drive to work
• Hands Free Devices, such as a Phone Dock
• Paid Car Wash Booklet or Do it Yourself or Car Wash Kit
• Car Wash Brush
• GPS Unit 
• New Odorless Floor Mats (or Wash them)
• Emergency Kit with Jumper Cables
• Car Stereo with Bluetooth
• Remote Starter
• Window Tinting
• New Hub Caps
• Car Creeper for Car Maintenance
• Car Detailing Kit or Package
• Car Vacuum
• Organization behind the seat or in the trunk
• Seat Covers
• DVD Player
• License Plate Frames

Guys Day

• Golf Pass or the Driving Range
• Car Racing or Rent a Luxury Car
• Music Lessons for an Instrument they want to play
• Shooting Range
• Bowling
• Movie Passes
• Sporting Event Tickets
• Concert Tickets to a Favorite Musician
• Martial Arts Lessons
• Scuba Diving Lessons
• White Water Rafting
• Paragliding or Parasailing
• Private Pilot Lessons
• Sky Diving or Indoor Sky Diving
• Amusement Park Day or Season Passes
• Laser Tag
• Paint Ball
• Indy 500
• Horse Back Riding
• Hot Air Balloon Ride

Sports

• Golf- Clubs, Indoor Putting, Gloves, Personalized Golf Balls, Tees, Shoes, Training Net, Golf Club Cleaning Kit, Golf Scope, Groove Sharpener
• Basketball- Indoor Basketball Arcade Game, Basketball Hoop, Ball Pump, Basketball Net Wastebasket, Dribble Specs (glasses), Ball Return Trainer, Shooting Trainer
• Baseball and Softball- Arm Sleeves, Personalized Baseball, Mitt, Pitching Machine, Rebound Net, Speed Detection Training Ball, Baseball Swing Analyzer
• Tennis-Ball Hopper, Training Ball, Vibration Dampener, Tennis Ball Saver (to keep them bouncing new), Overgrips
• Racquetball- AirFlow Gloves, Protective Eyewear, Green Racquet Balls, Raquet, Ball Saver
• Soccer- Kick Trainer, Rebounder Net, Colorful Cones, Color Your Own Soccer Ball (from the kids), Light Up LED Soccer Ball, Thermal Compression Leggings
• Football- Speed Resistance Parachute, Flag Football Set, Light Up LED Football, Ball Claw, Pro Kick, Gloves, Kick-Off Tee
• Bowling- Bowling Ball, Slide Powder, See Saw, Tote Bag, Hada Patch, Offense Shoe Slider
• Running- Hydration Belt, Calf Compression Sleeve, Muscle Roller Stick, Reflective Vest
• Cycling- 16 in 1 Repair Tool Kit for Bikes, Smart Gauge, Bicycle Pump, Bicycle Flashlight, Waterproof Speedometer 
• Horseshoes
• Nerf Football (we have this and love it)
• Ultimate Frisbee, Disk Golf, KanJam Game, Aerobie
• Dodge Balls Gator Skin
• Dartboard, Magnetic Dartboard, 
• Free Weights
• Gym Membership or Personal Training Sessions
• Phone Arm Band For When you Exercise
• Pool Table, 32 Piece Billiard Kit, Air Hockey Table, Ping Pong Table, Foosball Table
• Equipment Storage Rack

Clothes

• Tie
• Quality Socks
• Novelty Shirts
• Shoes for Home, Office, or Church
• Gym Shorts or other Athletic Wear
• Sports Jersey
• Teva Water Shoes
• New Watch, Wallet, Belt
• Leather Jacket
• Sunglasses
• Suit Coat

Personal Hygiene

• Cologne
• Hair Clippers Set
• Electric Shaver
• Luxury Shave Set
• Sonicare
• Oral-B Electric Toothbrush
• Water Pik (for Flossing)

Recreation

• Roller Blades
• Bike
• Long Board
• Skatecycle (Self Propelled Hubless Skate)
• OrbitWheel Skates (Cross between a Skateboard and Inline Skates)
• Climbing Gear
• Paddleboard
• Kayak
• Surf Board
• ATV or 4 Wheeler
• Dune Buggy
• Snorkeling Set
• Scuba Gear
• Wet Suit
• Hammock 

Camping and Survival

• Cooler
• Camping Chair
• Camping Stove
• Air Mattress
• Heater
• Sleeping Bag
• Hot Dog and Marshmallow Roasters
• Cast Iron Skillet 
• Dutch Oven
• Tent
• Hiking Backpack
• LifeStraw (Water Purification)
• Anti Shock Hiking Poles
• Knife with Fire Starter
• Headlamp
• MagLite
• Leatherman
• Waterproof Hand Crank or Solar Flashlight
• Emergency Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger
• LED Lantern
• Screened Canopy
• Binoculars 

Hunting and Fishing

• License
• Fishing Pole
• Bait Traps
• Tackle Box
• Hooks
• Fly Fishing Rod and Reel
• Fishing Wader
• Fishing Net
• Night Vision
• Game Calls and Lure
• Archery Bows
• Arrows and Shafts
• Arm Guards
• Archery Targets
• 2 Way Radio
• Camo Clothing
• Spotting Scopes
• Laser Rangefinder
• Hunting Knife
• Hunting Rifle Scope

Guns

• New Gun
• Cleaning Kit
• Conceal Carry Class to get their License
• Holster
• Scope
• Laser
• Ear Plugs
• Eye Protection
• Speed Loader
• Gun or Rifle Case
• Gun Safe
• Ammo
• Military Ammo Case
• Targets
• Infrared Thermometer
• Paintball Gun Package
• Airsoft Rifle

Hobby

• Remote Control Airplane
• Gas Powered RC Car
• Quadcopter
• Go Pro Camera
• Salt Water Fish and Accessories
• Telescope, Laser Pointer, Eye Piece Filters
• Flight Simulator (How to set up your Cockpit)
• Car Restoration Parts (ask what he needs)
• Camera Accessories for a Photographer, Reflector/Diffuser, Cleaning Kit, Flash, Tripod, Camera Bag, Instructional Books
• Art or Paint Supplies for the Artist
• Metal Detector
• Ham Radio
• Items to add to his Collection
• Ghost Hunting Kit
• Fencing Equipment or Lessons
• Geocaching Kit
• Magic Trick Kit
• Model Car Kits, Model Rocket Kit, Model Ship
• Pyrotechnic Equipment
• RC Boat
• Spelunking Gear
• Gardening Supplies

Entertainment

• Music Lessons
• Books
• Movies, New Releases, Action, Military, Season Sets, TV Shows, Sci Fi
• iTunes Gift Card
• CD or Download
• Sheet Music to a Favorite Artist
• Instrument or Accessories
• Amp
• Mixing Board
• Music Software
• Headphones
• Undermount CD Player with Bluetooth

Electronics

• iPod or MP3 Player
• Kindle
• iPad or Tablet
• Camera
• New Phone 
• Phone Accessories
• Smart Watch
• Wireless Keyboard
• Wireless Mouse
• Blu-Ray Player
• Apple TV
• Netflix or Amazon Prime Subscription
• TV
• Laptop
• Computer Parts
• Chromebook
• Macbook Pro
• Chromecast
• Speakers for Home, Shower, Car, Outdoor, Jambox, UE Megaboom
• Game System

Gaming

• Rechargeable Batteries
• New Game
• Gaming System
• Controllers and other Accessories
• Gaming Mouse
• Gaming Keyboard
• Pay Cards
• Gaming Headset Mic
• Strategy Guide
• Comic Con Passes
• Guy Approved Board Games: 7 Wonders, Dominion, King of Tokyo, Shadows Over Camelot, Risk, Small World, Rock the Beat, Heroscape, Scotland Yard, Chess
• Game Download on the Tablet

Tools

• Awesome Stud Finder
• Level
• Kreg Hole Jig
• Work Bench
• Tool Chest
• Laser Level
• Black and Decker Battery Wrench
• Ladder
• Bit Set for the Drill
• Clamps
• Air Compressor
• Impact Driver
• Cordless Drill
• Electric Sander
• Screwdriver Set
• Hammer
• Multimeter
• Shop-Vac

Food and Drink

• Grill
• BBQ Grill Set
• Marinades and Spices
• Grill Cover
• Grill Cookbook
• Favorite Treats
• Gift Card for Lunch or Dinner
• Lunch Box for Work
• Mini Fridge for the Office
• Mug
• Guy Apron
• Chef Supplies

Home, Office and Finance

• Fire Safe
• Office Chair
• Office Desk
• Nice Pen
• Paper Shredder
• Nest Thermostat
• Outdoor Firepit
• Lawn Chairs
• Light Dimmer Switch
• Light Timer Switch
• Fix Broken things around the House
• Shelves
• Complete Long Awaited Projects
• Lawn Maintenance Tools
• Total Money Makeover Book
• Financial Adviser Session
• Stocks
• Donation to a Charity in their Name

Other

• Gift Cards
• Magazine Subscription

For Father's that have Passed Away

• Picture Slideshow
• Blanket Made from His Clothes
• Write down Memories of him in a Journal (ask friends and family)
• Visit his Grave and Bring his Favorite Flowers
• Make a CD or Playlist of his Favorite Music
• Watch Home Videos 
• Do his Favorite Activity and Eat his Favorite Foods that Day
• Donate to Charity in his Name
• Awareness for the cause of death
• Memory Boxes
• Framed Pictures Hung Up