Crazy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love baking, well, I love the results of baking. These cookies are wonderful. Everyone's tastes are different, I like my cookies not too crispy and not too fluffy, and these are just right:

1 1/2 c butter, softened (not melted) or butter flavored shortening
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
4 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur brand)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder (for thinner, crispier cookies eliminate baking powder and increase baking soda to 1 1/2)
2 c chocolate chips (I like to mix semi-sweet and milk. There are a couple options these days)
1 c chopped walnuts (optional. I am not a fan of nuts in my cookies)

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Cream butter and sugars.
3.Add milk and vanilla, beat with electric mixer untill fluffy.
4.Blend in eggs, one at a time. Mix well after each addition.
5.Add dry ingredients and mix well, then add chips and walnuts (ew)
6.Drop about a tablespoon (use a teaspoon and heap moderately well) of dough onto greased baking sheets and bake 8-10 min (if you prefer crispy cookies 10 - 12 minutes)
7.Eat, with milk ;)

Pasta with Sausage in A Tomato Cream Sauce

I made this recently and sort of guessed and hoped my my through it, but it came out great. I cook almost everything in a large frying pan (14"). This goes well with a good crusty bread.

3-4 Sausage (your choice, I generally use a poultry-based)
olive oil (enough to just cover bottom of pan)
pasta (again your choice. I use stuff that is easily picked up and eaten by a toddler)
sauce (1 jar, nothing too complex. Prego Tomato Basil, or Roasted Red Pep. and Garlic)
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. coat bottom of pan with olive oil
2. cook sausage until nearly done
3. remove sausage from pan, reduce heat to low and add tomato sauce to the pan.
4. cut up sausage, add back to pan.
5. while heating sauce/sausage cook pasta very al dente (shorten cook time by about 2 minutes)
6. add heavy whipping cream to sauce/sausage, blend in.
7. add pasta to the mix, cover, cook about 5 more minutes
8. eat.

Cheesy Turkey Loaf

This is one of our favorites. It's a bastardization of a recipe from an old Armour's MEAT Cook Book. Serve with mashed potatoes. Enjoy:

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 c dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/2 c chopped bell pepper (any color, we like orange)
1/2 c chopped onion or celery (or both)
1 c shredded cheddar, divided (I frequently use cheddar blends)
dash of celery salt
dash of paprika (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix all ingredients, but reserve 1/4 c cheese.
3. Shape into loaf in loaf pan.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Top with remaining cheese, bake for 10 additional minutes.
6. Eat.