The "Best" Chocolate Chip Cookie

Have you noticed how many recipes on the internet say they are

"THE BEST" of whatever they've made?

I've made a few of those recipes that aren't even close to being "THE BEST."

These chocolate chip cookies are a combination of two recipes

that said they were "The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie."

The Pretty Good Chocolate Chip Cookie

Makes about four dozen cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream together:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

Add to above and mix:

2 eggs (add one at a time)

Add to above and mix:

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a separate bowl, dissolve:

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon hot water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Add dissolved baking soda and salt to batter and mix.

Add to above and mix:

3 cups flour

*1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Add to above and lightly mix:

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Drop by large tablespoon-sized scoops of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly golden brown.

Remove to wire rack to cool.

*The cream of tartar gives a different texture to the cookies,

but does not affect the taste. You can leave it out if desired.

Don't forget to add your cookie recipes to my

Virtual Christmas Cookie Recipe Exchange Party!

Is Your Quilt Store Nice?

As I was trying to enter some of the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway links (mine is HERE) one of the required comment entries asked over at Sew Adorable Fabrics was:

"What is most important for you when shopping for fabric? What makes you come back?"

I have been to quilt stores where some of the salespeople weren't nice. Shocking isn't it! I always think of quilt stores as kind of comfort zones for me. I love to stroll along and touch the fabric just to feel their textures. I enjoy the small chatter that goes on between salespeople and customers as they talk about projects in the works or ideas they're trying to put together with fabric. 

I keep going back to quilt stores because of their fabric, but they MUST be nice, too. Not like these stores that shall be nameless and I avoid unless I'm really desperate:

• I said I had filled a pincushion with fiberfill stuffing and the saleslady rolled her eyes (yes she did!) and said, "Why would you use that!" I could have done without the rolling of the eyes!

• I got the rolling eyes again at another shop when I mentioned I don't hand sew my bindings. Sorry, but some of us don't do hand sewing very well due to varies reasons like poor eyesight or arthritis.

• A little snarky comment came from another sales clerk when I asked about a certain maker of fabric...she rolled her eyes (what's with this roll-your-eye thing?) and said, "We don't carry ***** fabric because we can't sell it." Seriously? It was a well known fabric company that MOST stores carry and it always sells very well!

Was this a soapbox kind of post? Yeah, probably a little. I'll step off the soapbox now. Thank goodness there are more NICE quilt stores than roll-your-eyes stores!

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day-CLOSED

Sew Mama Sew is hosting an amazing giveaway today with lots, and lots, and lots of bloggers
linking up to share their giveaways...you really must check it out!
A big thanks to Sew Mama Sew for hosting this event!

Check out all the other giveaways!

I'm so glad you came by to visit and see what I'm giving away.

My little giveaway is one Robert Kaufman Kona Charm Square pack...I love this fabric!

The usual giveaway rules...fa-la-la-la-la

1. Leave a two word comment or tell me what country you are from.
2. One entry per person.
3. It can be mailed anywhere...yes, even to the other side of the world.
4. Giveaway ends at 5 p.m. PST on December 13th. Entries after 5 p.m. PST on December 13th will not be included in the giveaway.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!

In The Mood For Christmas AND A Winner

I loved the comments from all of you who visited me and were willing to help me get 

IN THE MOOD FOR CHRISTMAS...it worked! Thank you! 

With all the mood adjusting comments, I managed to drag out some decorations and make a table runner. I had some fabric I just adore from Quilting Treasures called "Dear Santa" and Cathy from Quilted Works gave me a Dear Santa panel, so I made a simple two-sided runner for my coffee table.

Of course, with all the snow we've had, I HAD to use it for a backdrop!

Isn't he just amazing! I love this panel!

I added a little machine embroidery.

My favorite Coca Cola Santa looks pretty good sitting on my runner.

Oh, you probably want to know who the winner is, right? Welllll.....

Random Generator picked #3...congratulations

HEIDI!

She's been sent an email and once I get an address for her, Santa will I'll mail this to her.

Thanks again everybody for helping get me in the mood for Christmas!

Lots Of Snowing In The Desert

It snowed and snowed and snowed all day. Literally all day...like more than 10 hours straight.

This may not seem like a big deal to some of you who have LOTS of snow,

but this is the desert and the few times it does snow it melts pretty fast.

This white stuff is sticking around!

Even my new angel is loving this snow!

With so much snow and icy streets, I stayed in and sewed all day.

I practiced a little with my embroidery module and used it to do some machine quilting. 

Oh my gosh, it was so fun! Can't show it all, but here's a little peek at my Kona project:

Purple, of course!

Are you busy sewing Christmas gifts and/or baking?

Do you have a favorite cookie recipe? Share it on my virtual cookie exchange

HERE.

Looking for a giveaway? Go check it out...it ends on December 8th

HERE.

P.S. If you see snow floating down in my photo above,

do not ask me how I did it. I have no idea...it just appeared there! LOL!

Dear Santa, What Do You Put On Cream Cheese?

Dear Santa, I need your definition of "naughty" ASAP...

just in case I need to clean-up my act!

I love all the different ideas for appetizers that show up at parties this time of year. 

Like...cranberry salsa or jalapeno jello on a slab of cream cheese. 

What would you put on cream cheese for an appetizer?

I visited two Christmas parties at quilt stores today. 

One at Quilted Works and one at Dave's Bernina...lots of fun and yummy food!

While I was partying, I picked up a little applique/machine embroidery package to play with. Now I just have to figure out how to do it. I know how to applique and I know how to machine embroidery, but I don't know how to put them together. Should be interesting!

I've been busy sewing on some Robert Kaufman Kona, so don't think I've been goofing off.

Waking Up To Kona starts on January 7th and the elves aren't stepping up to help me.

I'm on my own with the Kona fabric!

Do you have a favorite cookie recipe? Share it on my virtual cookie exchange

HERE.

Looking for a giveaway? Go check it out

HERE.

 

Sugar and Spice Christmas Cookies

We woke up this morning to snow which got me a little closer to being in a Christmas mood!

Perfect day for baking, don't you think!

Sugar and Spice Christmas Cookies

Mix until creamy:

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

Add and mix:

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

Add and mix:

4 cups flour

4 teaspoons soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 1/2 teaspoon ginger 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Form dough into walnut size balls (or use small cookie scoop) onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes (not much longer or they will be hard when they cool.)

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops when slightly cool.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

This was a similar recipe my mother-in-law made for years and is one of my family's favorite Christmas cookies. She said the original recipe came from Betty Crocker and used 1/2 shortening and 1/2 butter instead of all butter. 

I love using a cookie scoop to get the perfect size cookie

Yes, that's a purple cookie turner

Sprinkled cookies, ready to eat...so yummy!
I wrapped up some of the extra dough and put it in the freezer to slice and bake later.

Getting In The Mood For Christmas Giveaway

I'm not in the mood for Christmas.

I don't feel like decorating the house.

I don't feel like shopping (gasp!)

I don't want to listen to Christmas music...well, maybe a little Josh Groban.

I needed a pick-me-up so....

I went out with my sister this morning and stopped by Quilted Works. 

There's something about a quilt store that makes me feel so good!

While I was there I picked up a little something to help me get in the Christmas spirit.

I think it's working!

Yep, it's definitely working!

IT'S A...

GETTING IN THE MOOD FOR CHRISTMAS

GIVEAWAY!

Need to feel a little "Surrounded by Love" with a Moda charm pack by Deb Strain?

That's what I will send the winner of my giveaway.

The usual giveaway rules...fa-la-la-la-la

1. Leave a two word comment or tell me what country you are from.
2. One entry per person.
3. It can be mailed anywhere...yes, even to the other side of the world.
4. Giveaway ends at 6 p.m. PST on December 8th. Entries after 6 p.m. PST on December 8th will not be included in the giveaway.

Don't forget to share your cookie recipes at my

Just A Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange Linky Party!

Really, I need all the baking inspiration I can get!

Click HERE to join the party.

Just A Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange Party

An InLinkz Link-up

Ritzy Christmas Mint Cookies

The very first Christmas cookie exchange that I went to had some amazing cookies, but the one recipe that caught all of our attention was the thin mints Susan made....out of Ritz crackers.

Yes, you read it right---RITZ CRACKERS! 

I'm sure the recipe was on a Ritz cracker box, but I'd never seen them.

 Really, they were so good! 

Here's the recipe for these Ritzy Chocolate Mint Cookies:

1/2 lb semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
2-3 drops peppermint extract
1 sleeve of Ritz Crackers
Some crushed candy canes

Melt dark chocolate over low heat or in a glass cup at 15-second intervals in the microwave (stir after each 15 seconds.) Stir 2-3 drops of peppermint extract into the melted chocolate (don't use too much peppermint--the 2-3 drops is plenty.) Using a fork or dipping tool, dip each Ritz Cracker in the melted chocolate. Place on a foil covered cookie sheet making sure they don't touch each other. Sprinkle each chocolate dipped cracker with a small amount of crushed candy cane. Chill. Eat. Enjoy.

She Who Sews...Doesn't Let The Door Stop Her!

I love this new fabric from Quilting Treasures.
Janet Wicker Frisch did a great job on the artwork...so fun!

There's going to be a blog hop using this fabric.

Whoohoo!

You can find a panel of it over at Thearica's store...here.

This blog hop has a twist. There will be TWO, yes, TWO, blogs hops in one! She Who Sews and/or Don't Let the Door Stop You. Wow! Check out how to join in the fun over at Sew We Quilt.