C is for Cookie

I love sweets! I could eat candy, ice cream, cookies, cakes and anything with sugar in it all day long. When I was growing up we would have ice cream almost every night and I have had a very hard time breaking that tradition. Unfortunately I have gained almost 10 pounds since Christmas so I really need to back off. I just love baking cookies and sweets and I can't stop! I love looking at cooking blogs and I found this amazing recipe for chocolate chip cookies. They are thick and chewy and oh so freakin' good!!! I got the recipe from My Kitchen Cafe.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

2 1/8 c bleached all-purpose flour (about 10.5 oz)
1/2 t table salt
1/2 t baking soda
12 T butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 c brown sugar (7 oz)
1/2 c sugar (3.5 oz)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 t vanilla
1-2 c chocolate chips (I used a little more than half a package of choc. chips)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

Form dough into balls (I use my handy-dandy cookie scoop) and place on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheets.

Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes - these cookies really do need longer baking time than most average cookie dough recipes). Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time. Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

Tulip Festival

Last Monday Dan and I went with my sister and her kids down to the Tulip Festival in Woodburn. It was 80 degrees that day, the hottest day of the year so far, and it was fabulous. I was actually sweating it was so hot. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the tulip festival. It is just absolutely breath taking to see all those beautiful flowers in one place. When you are at one end of the fields you can look off into the distance and see Mt. Hood.I just felt so grateful for the beautiful place that I live in. Oregon is serisouly the most beautiful place in the world and I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Final Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer

So, I promise this is the last HBP trailer I will post. I had chills the entire time. It is definitely the best trailer yet. I can't wait!!! Only 90 days!!

DISNEYLAND!!!

We've been home almost two weeks and I am finally getting around to this post. The day after we got home I had all 200 pictures printed and in a photo album. I just didn't have time to do a post until now. As I was reflecting back on the trip it seems like a dream. We had an AMAZING time! We loved being there with the Daley's and everyday I find myself daydreaming about Disneyland. For me, it really is the happiest place on earth!I will share some of my favorite things about our Disneyland extravaganza.

• We decided to leave a day early and stay over in Sacramento. That was THE BEST decision we made. It was a long drive and I am glad we did it in two days.
  
• We LOVED the new Toy Story Mania ride at California Adventure. It is similar to Buzz Lightyear, but totally cooler. It is a 3-D ride where you play carnival type games. I wish they had fast pass because we only got to ride it twice.
  
• It was so nice to be in the sun and actually feel hot! I didn't bring any capris so I had to roll up my pants to look like capris, so I probably looked kind of dorky, but it was nice to be warm!
• I loved eating mint chocolate chip ice cream cones, the famous Dole Whip at the Tiki Room, Rice Krispie Treats covered in Chocolate and my favorite Sonoma Chicken Salad from the Pacific Wharf Cafe.
• We totally worked the fast pass system and kid swap. We went on so many rides it was awesome. It was pretty busy, but I don't think we waited over 30 minutes for any ride.
• I love the Dream's Come True fireworks show. It serisouly gives me chills. We saw it 3 nights and it is one of my favorite parts about Disneyland.
• I love having my arms up on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Dan thinks I am going to hit my hands and break my arms off, but it is too much fun.
• We were there for opening day of the new parade: Celebrate! A street party. It was a really fun parade with lots of music, dancing and interaction. It was awesome, but it doesn't compare to the Dreams Come True parade.
• It was so so so fun to be there with the kids and to make this wonderful memory as a family. I am so grateful for the Daley's and their beautiful children. They bring us so much joy and happiness. We won't forget Dawsie saying "Choo Choo" everytime a train went by, or Kelsey being so excited to see the White Rabbit's house (she was the white rabbit in her school play) and Jenna being a little apprehensive to go on Grizzly River Rapids and then loving it SO much that she went on it again.
• It is probably the best Disneyland trip yet, and we hope to have MANY more!