Baked Chicken Parmesan {Lighter Version}

This is such an easy and satisfying dinner to make.  By not frying the chicken before putting it in the oven you are enhancing the nutrition content, as well as using just the whites of the eggs and eating it on a bed of spinach!

Baked Chicken Parmesan
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
2 egg whites
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
4 chicken breasts
Pasta Sauce
Baby Spinach leaves
Spaghetti or Fettuccine noodles, optional

Directions
Preaheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a shallow pie plate, beat egg whites with a fork until slightly frothy.  In another shallow pie plate mix breadcrumbs and 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.

Dip the chicken breasts in the egg whites and then into the breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides.

Place chicken breasts in the prepared pan and bake for approximately 15 minutes, then turn the breasts over and bake another 15 minutes.  Check the chicken to make sure the fattest parts of the breasts have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

In a small saucepan, warm pasta sauce over medium heat.

If you are adding noodles, prepare them now while the chicken is in the oven.

Divide spinach leaves between the four plates.  (If you are adding noodles, place them ontop of the spinach leaves.)  Place the chicken breasts over spinach leaves (or noodles) and top with warmed pasta sauce and remaining Parmesan cheese.


Recipe Source: adapted from Bill Phillips' recipe on BodyBuilding.com

Veggie Fajita Stacks with Garlic Lime Rice

I love a healthy, tasty, lots of texture, leaves me leftovers that I look forward to for days, kind of meal.  Do you?  If you do, I recommend this one.  It's definitely filling, but not heavy.  It's never left me with that, "Whoa, I just ate that whole plate and can't move now." kind of feeling.  Since there are so many fresh veggies, and great grains (you can easily substitute in millet or quinoa instead of rice), I love making this meal for my family.

Veggie Fajita Stacks
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
Garlic Lime Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups rice, dry (substitute in millet or quinoa if you'd like)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 pinch salt
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

Sautéed Peppers and Onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Fajita Stacks
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Frozen corn, thawed and warmed
Homemade Guacamole
Homemade Pico de Gallo


Directions
For the Garlic Lime Rice: Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat.  Add the rice and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently so the rice doesn't burn.  Add the garlic and continue to cook for about 30 more seconds.  Add the chicken broth, salt, lime juice, and cilantro and allow to come to a boil.  Stir once or twice to break up any clumps.  Cover, reduce heat to low and allow to cook for 15 minutes or until the water dries up.  Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

For the Sautéed Peppers and Onions: While the rice is cooking, heat oil in another medium-sized pan over medium heat.  Once oil is hot, add sliced peppers and onions.  Add a dash of salt and pepper, to taste.  Sauté for about 5 minutes.  You don't want the peppers and onions to become mushy so watch them so they don't cook for too long.

To Assemble:  Add rice (or millet or quinoa) to your plate/bowl.  Then add as much of the rest of the toppings as you'd like: sautéed peppers and onions, black beans, corn, pico do gallo, and guacamole!

Recipe Source: Adapted from Little Spice Jar

DIY: Alfalfa Sprouts

Buying sprouts at the grocery store can be a little pricey, especially if you like to eat them often.  But buying the seeds and sprouting them on your own is a whole different story - it's so much cheaper and so easy and they taste so fresh and produce so much!  It only takes 4 days!  If you like to eat sprouts there is no reason you shouldn't make them on your own.  Let me show you how easy (and I think fun) it is...

What you need:

1 wide mouth Mason jar (the larger size - around 24 ounces)

1 wide mouth lid with little holes - I love this one.

Alfalfa Seeds - I have had a great experience with Todd's seeds.  Love them!

Here's the lid I use and love:

You will be rinsing and draining the seeds every morning and evening.  Some people use mesh lids but I don't like messing with metal because of rust and it being so hard to clean.  This lid is perfect - seeds don't fall through the holes, and it washes beautifully.  Well worth the $6 on Amazon.

Step-by-Step Tutorial...

Step 1: Soak 2 tablespoons of Alfalfa seeds in water for at least 8 hours.  I normally start in the morning, but if you start in the evening then allow them to soak overnight.  

Step 2: After you allow the seeds to soak for 8 hours (or overnight), drain out the water and shake out any excess water, but you don't have to go too crazy.  Then rest the jar on a towel and allow the rest of the water to drain out by itself.

(Day 1)

Now you will rinse the seeds once every evening and once every morning.  In between you just let the jar rest on a towel and the seeds will do their magic.

(Day 2)

(Day 3)

(Day 4... All done!)

A few hours before I take my sprouts out I like to lean them against a window to allow some sunlight on them.  I think it helps give them a nice greener color.  You'll be impressed and amazed at how many sprouts come from just 2 tablespoons of seeds.  

Enjoy them on your salads, sandwiches, or a snack all by themselves!  Packed with so many good vitamins and minerals - you'll be so happy you've started doing this!

Lasagna Roll-Ups

Such a fun twist to lasagna.  Plus, I think this recipe is a ton easier than most lasagna recipes and I love the Spinach instead of ground beef.  

You just cook the noodles, lay them out, add the put-together spinach and cheese mixture, roll them up, spread some sauce and cheese on top, cook and ENJOY!

Serve with some salad and garlic bread on the side and bam - I love this dinner.

Lasagna Roll-ups
Yield: 9 Lasagna rolls

Ingredients
9 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained and patted dry
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 egg
salt and freshly ground pepper
2/3 of a 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spoon about one cup of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, parmesan, egg, salt and pepper.

Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter and lay out cooked and dried lasagna noodles on the paper.  Spread about 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture evenly over noodle.  Carefully roll noodle and place seam side down into the baking dish.  Repeat with remaining lasagna noodles.

Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over the noodles in the baking dish.  Add more sauce from the jar if you'd like more sauce.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top and a little more parmesan if you'd like.  Put foil over the baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts.  Allow to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source:  Adapted from Tabler Party of Two.

Healthy Chocolate Banana Ice-Cream

I'm just being introduced into the world of frozen banana ice-cream and I'm loving it!  One of my favorite combinations is bananas, chocolate and almond/peanut butter so when I came across this recipe I got pretty excited.  It's a very healthy option to an everyday craving I have - some kind of chocolate dessert.  

I had never used Cacao powder until recently and I'm really loving it.  I found this bag at Walmart for probably right around $8.  You may think that's a little pricey, but this bag will last a long time.  You can switch this out for normal cocoa powder if you prefer.

I usually let my bananas thaw for about 5-10 minutes in the processor so the ice-cream forms into a smoother texture faster.  If you process them when they are right out of the freezer you will end up with more of a dip 'n dots kind of ice-cream, but don't worry, let it sit for a few minutes and process it again and it will smooth out.

Creamy and thick, my favorite.

If I eat this in the afternoon as a little "pick-me-up" snack I like to sprinkle some Bee Pollen on the top to give me that little extra energy and health boost.

Here's a description of Bee Pollen I found on google that I loved:
"Bee pollen is the food of the young bee and it is approximately 40% protein. It is considered one of nature's most completely nourishing foods. It contains nearly all nutrients required by humans. About half of its protein is in the form of free amino acids that are ready to be used directly by the body."

Healthy Chocolate Banana Ice-Cream

Ingredients
3 frozen bananas, chopped into chunks
1/4 cup chocolate almond milk
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/2 tablespoon cacao powder

Directions
Place all ingredients in a food processor.  You may need to wait a few minutes to allow the bananas to thaw a little so when it processes it doesn't process into chunks, but instead into a smooth ice-cream texture.  Process until smooth and creamy.  You may need to turn the processor off a time of two and scrap down the sides and stir the mixture a little.  Scoop into bowls and enjoy!


Recipe Source: Eating Bird Food

Rainbow Detox Salad

I've been reading how healthy cabbage is for us, but I have to admit, I am not a cabbage lover.  I do like a good coleslaw, but I'm not one to sit down with a bowl of shredded cabbage and an oil and vinegar dressing and go to town (like my husband and 8-year-old son can).  BUT, I am trying harder to include more nutrient dense foods into my diet so I wanted to find some recipes that included cabbage AND looked appealing to me.  Then I came across this one and immediately printed it off and added it to my list of recipes to try.  

I have fallen in love with this salad.  The crunchy cabbage, the roasted chickpeas, the creamy avocados, with the light lemon vinaigrette dressing... what's not to love?  There's so much variety!

Rainbow Detox Salad

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

1/4 head purple cabbage

1/4 head green cabbage

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 avocado

1 cup cooked quinoa

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package. Meanwhile, drain the chickpeas then spread out the beans onto a baking sheet.  Cover with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until toasted and crispy.

Meanwhile, wash and chop the cabbage.  Toss together in a large bowl.  Remove the pit of the avocado and slice into pieces.  Drizzle the cabbage with the Lemon vinaigrette dressing; add a scoop of the cooked quinoa, the sliced avocado, and the crispy chickpeas.

Recipe Source: Health Nut Nutrition

Pumpkin Chickpea Curry Soup

A few weeks ago I found this fall soup and couldn't wait to try it.  I have to admit that Colby didn't love it very much.  He liked it better once he added salt.  I didn't even try to feed it to my kids because well, I knew it wouldn't be a very enjoyable dinner-time if I did.  But man, for what it's worth - I loved this soup!  I loved it so much I was excited to add it to my blog and share it with you.  It's a perfect fall soup.  I loved the flavor plus the added texture of the chickpeas and quinoa.  The coconut milk made it creamier.  If you're looking for a healthy, fall soup, and not to mention - super, duper easy to make in the slow cooker, then I invite you to give this one a try.  

Pumpkin Chickpea Curry Soup
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cups vegetable broth
3 handfuls spinach
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric

Optional Toppings:
Fresh lime
Cilantro
Cooked quinoa

Directions
Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 hours.  Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, cilantro, and cooked quinoa.


Recipe Source: Adapted from the Healthy Grocery Girl

The Gorilla's Taco

Talk about a yummy, very nutrient filled lunch/snack/dinner!  I love these Gorilla tacos!  One of my favorite greens to eat is Collard Greens.  I love how sturdy they are - almost a leathery feel.  Makes me think how nutrient dense they are.  I mean look at 'em... aren't they great?!

And I really love their taste.  I put them in my morning green smoothie, chop them up and add them to a lot of my green salads, and now make tacos and wraps out of them!  They make a perfect tortilla because of how solid and sturdy they are.

You can totally substitute the quinoa out for rice or millet if you'd like - but my favorite as of late is Red Quinoa - with all it's nutrients and yumminess.  I love the way red quinoa looks after it's cooked.

Filling and delicious.

The Gorilla's Taco
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
2 collard greens leaves, rinsed and patted dry
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/3 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced and peeled
Handful of Alfalfa sprouts
salsa

Directions
Place the two collard greens leaves on a plate.  Down the center of one of the collard greens place half the quinoa, black beans, bell peppers, avocado, alfalfa sprouts, and salsa.  Down the center of the other collard green place the other half of all the ingredients.  Fold the edges of the greens up and enjoy every bite!

Recipe Source: Tasty on My Mind

Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

I feel like it's been awhile since I've been on here to share some of my favorite recipes.  Probably because it has.  A week ago one of my kids came down with what I thought was a small cold, but with four kids there is no such thing as a small cold, right?  That small cold turned into three kids throwing up over about a four day span, one kid coming down with croup which turned into stridor- giving me a very scary morning and an almost ER trip at 5am, a fever that lasted for about 3 days, and other bodily functions happening that we don't need to talk about on a food blog.  Anyway, let's just say I'm grateful for a fresh new week and I want to kick whatever flu, cold, virus bug that's going around in the pants!  So with all that said, let's get on to one of my new favorite finds...

Last week I came across this salad dressing and I fell in love with it.  I think I used it three straight days (until I ran out) and I loved it every time.  It's not a heavy dressing and it adds the perfect taste/kick to a salad to give it that extra "Mmmmmm".  Plus, it's easy to shake together - takes maybe three minutes, and includes simple, every-day-used ingredients.

Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Yield: About 8 servings

*If you're making this for one person or you have a smaller group and don't want to have leftovers I would half the ingredients.

Ingredients
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients into a jar, such as a mason jar or anything with a secure lid.  Secure the lid and shake until all is combined.  Enjoy !

Store leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and shake well before each use.


Recipe Source: Health Nut Nutrition

Homemade Guacamole - Our Favorite!

We love this guacamole recipe so much so that I'm pretty sure it's been made about 5 times in our home within the last three weeks.  Now the great thing about guacamole is you can make adjustments very easily so if you want a little more of this or a little less of that let your creative juices go!  I do love the garlic powder in this recipe though, and do not skip out on the salt because I forgot to add it once and yep - definitely didn't taste as good.  But besides that this recipe is a keeper!

Homemade Guacamole - Our Favorite!

Ingredients
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and cut into small chunks
1/4 onion, finely diced (red or white)
1 roma tomato, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Mash avocados in a medium size serving bowl then add the diced onion, tomato, and fresh cilantro.  Drizzle the lime juice on top and gently stir.  Add the garlic powder, salt, and pepper and gently stir to combine once more.  Serve immediately.


Recipe Source: from Fantabulosity.

Double Chocolate Muffins

These muffins are more of an afternoon treat than a morning breakfast option.  They definitely have helped me make it through those afternoon slumps.  They're pretty much your own little personal cake, but hey - in no way, shape, or form am I saying you can't eat them for breakfast.  ;)

My little guy thinks they're pretty much so good that they deserve a full smile beforehand... 

...And eyes closed and full attention on the yumminess when you go in for a bite.  Love those chubby hands.

Double Chocolate Muffins
Yield: About 22 regular size muffins

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened just a little
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin tins with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream together the butter and sugar until very well combined.  Add the sour cream and vanilla and cream again until light and fluffy - about 2-3 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated between each addition.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, in 2-3 increments (1/3 of the flour, half the milk, another third of the flour, half the milk, end with the last 1/3 of the flour).  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Divide batter between the muffin cups and bake right around 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (a little melted chocolate is fine - the toothpick may hit a melty chocolate chip).



Recipe Source: from The Dough Puncher

Millet Avocado Spinach Salad

Talk about one of my favorite salads!  I love this millet, avocado, spinach creation!  I love how simple this salad is to toss together, yet when I eat it, it has such a variety of textures and flavors that all come together so perfectly... sweet tomatoes, creamy avocados, grainy millet, etc.  Adding the millet also helps fill me up and leaves me feeling satisfied.  I also love how this salad is packed with nutritional value.  The fresh veggies and then the added health benefits of the millet really leave me smiling (literally) knowing I'm doing my body good by eating this.  (Now I just have to not give into the temptation of opening up the cookie tupperware when I put this bowl in the dishwasher.  Sometimes I'm successful, and sometimes not so much.)

Feel free to add beans for an extra protein punch or swap out the red wine vinegar for lemon juice if you'd like.  You can also swap out the millet for quinoa, and as always with most salads, you can add more of what you love and take away a little of what you don't.  Make it to your taste buds desire!  

Millet, Avocado, Spinach Salad

Ingredients
1/2 cup dry millet
1 avocado
2-3 cups baby spinach
10-15 cherry tomatoes
1 green onion

For the Dressing:
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
salt, to taste

Directions
Cook the millet according to package, or if there's no package just cook it like you cook rice.  I sometimes like to saute it first with a little olive oil and garlic then add some lime juice into the water - like a lime millet (kind of like cilantro lime rice).

Meanwhile make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients and set aside.

Roughly chop the spinach and place in a large bowl.  Halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the green onions, and pit and dice the avocado.

When the millet is done cooking, add it to the spinach and toss.  The spinach may wilt slightly from the warm millet.  Add the tomatoes, onions, and dressing and toss to combine.  Then add the avocado and lightly toss it all together.  You can either serve immediately or refrigerate to allow the flavors to marry together more.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from The Garden Grazer

Lentil Spinach Soup

Lately I have been enjoying making soups for dinner.  They're usually pretty easy to put together and you can make them ahead of time to try to avoid the crazy rush before dinner.  It's also nice with my kids because they normally don't eat a lot of it, even though I still make them eat a small bowl-full, so that means there are leftovers for Colby and I for lunch the next day, and then I just make easy grilled cheese sandwiches to serve alongside to make sure their tummies are filling up.

I really like this lentil soup because it's all of the above, plus very healthy for you.  Lentils are packed with fiber, protein, and iron, and not to mention inexpensive!  I found this soup filling (probably because of all the lentils) but not heavy which makes it a great soup to serve any time of the year.

Lentil Spinach Soup
Yield: 4-6 servings

Notes: You can also add a can of diced tomatoes (or fresh) and some diced up potatoes to this soup if you'd like!  If you do, I would add them when you add the broth, water, and lentils.

Ingredients
1 onion, diced
4 large carrots, diced
4 cloves minced garlic
2 cups dry lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
4 cups spinach
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, saute onion and carrot for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and salt.  Continue to saute for another minute.  Add broth, water, and rinsed and drained lentils.  Increase the heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, until lentils are tender.  Towards the end of the cooking time roughly chop the spinach.  Once soup is done turn off the heat and add the spinach.  Cover again and allow the spinach to cook for just a few minutes, until it's wilted the way you like.  Add more salt to taste and enjoy.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from The Garden Grazer

My New Favorite Gadget!

A few weeks ago my hand-held mixer stopped working.  Nooooooo!  I almost didn't know what to do until Colby came in and said, "Um, you can just stir it with a wooden spoon."  Oh my.  Heather, wake up call.  My arm sure did get a workout, not to mention it was my oldest son's birthday week so we had cinnamon roll frosting to make and two cakes to beat: one for his actual birthday and one for his special baptism day.  That night I was wishing I could just run to the store and pick up a new mixer, but since we love Dave Ramsey I couldn't; it wasn't in the budget for that pay period.

So how excited was I when yesterday was payday and we made our new budget and a new mixer was included!  So excited.  I debated over which one to buy for what seemed like 5 minutes.  Luckily I only had one child with me so I could do 5 minutes.  Do I get the cheapest one?  Not the cheapest.  But do I get the most expensive?  Is it really worth the extra money?  What if I get the most expensive but it ends up being just like the old one I had which was loud and had a hard time beating the frosting on my favorite cinnamon rolls?  (I think that's what ultimately killed the beaters - that thick, gooey, delicious frosting that I had made 100 times.)  But if I get one in the middle will I regret not getting the one I really wanted?  Who knew picking out a hand mixer could be such a dilemma?  I knew whichever one I bought I would be using it weekly for years to come so I wanted to love it.  I bit the bullet and bought the most expensive one on the shelf and the outcome: I LOVE IT!

I love it so much that after using it for the first time I had to jump on here really fast and share it with you!  It's the KitchenAid Hand-Held Mixer.  Mine is only the 3-speed,  but this one on Amazon is the 5-speed and is cheaper than what I spent at the store.  And this red is so cute!  

The motor on this beater feels strong and sturdy and it's quiet!  Molly use to not like beating things with me because my old one was so loud, but this one she doesn't mind at all.

The beaters are also a little different than normal beaters.  Maybe it's just been years since I've bought a new mixer, but these ones are nice!  They are lighter and slimmer.  So long story made short: next time you need a hand-held mixer go with KitchenAid!  It won't disappoint.

Homemade Pico De Gallo

This homemade Pico De Gallo is easy, it's fresh, it's flavorful, and it goes good with so many different things: chips, salads, burritos, tacos, etc.  Why spend close to $5 to buy a pint-size container of Pico at the store when you can make 4x as much at home for a fraction of the price?

Pico De Gallo

Ingredients
5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
1/2 large onion (white or red)
1/4 - 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a large bowl add the diced tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and garlic.  Toss everything together.  Add the juice of 1/2 a lime and salt and pepper to taste.  Toss again to evenly coat.  Store covered in the refrigerator.  It tastes the best if you can let the flavors marry together for a few hours before eating, but no harm done if there's no time for that.  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or on top of salads, burritos, tacos, etc.

Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

These have become my choice of cookie as of lately.  As much as I love my Panera Chocolate Chip Cookies, those seem to take a little more work than most chocolate chip cookies.  Don't get me wrong though, they are totally worth it.  But lately when it's been 8:15 at night and Colby is really craving a chocolate chip cookie, and let's not lie here... and when I'm really craving a chocolate chip cookie, this is the recipe I've been turning to.  These cookies are soft.  They are buttery.  They are delicious and go down perfect with a glass of milk.  You can easily half this recipe to make a smaller batch, but trust me - these cookies go pretty fast so making the amount written below can't steer you wrong.  I love using a cookie scoop to make perfect little cookie balls.

Some stay a little puffed in the middle and some sink down, but either way they come out dense and buttery and soft and too hard to resist.

My preferred baking sheet is a baking stone.  (I know they are a little pricey but they are so worth it.  I use it for so much.)  Mine is from Pampered Chef and has handles on the sides so it's easier to grip.  I also love using Silpat liners and I usually end up using both when I'm baking.  You will see here with a Silpat liner the bottoms turn out more golden whereas with a stone the cookies stay the same color top and bottom.

Silpat liner cookie is on the left and baking stone cookie is on the right.  See the difference?  I sometimes like my cookies a little more cooked on the bottom and I sometimes like them softer so that's why I use both sheets when I make a batch of cookies.  Then when I reach into our cookie tupperware to grab a cookie I sometimes look at the bottoms and grab one of each.  Adds a little variety.

All served up and ready to enjoy. 

Love that dense, buttery, soft middle. 

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: About 36 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it.  It shouldn't be very hot, but it should be almost entirely melted.

Using a stand mixer, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy.  Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat again until just incorporated (10-15 seconds).  If you beat the eggs for too long your cookie will become stiff.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Beat again until all is combined.  Add the chocolate chips and either incorporate with your hands or mix one more time for just a few seconds with your mixer.

Scoop your cookies out with a spoon, your hand, or a cookie scoop (making sure it's in a ball) and place onto your preferred baking sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry and just barely golden.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.  Take them out even if they don't look all the way done.  

Let the cookies cool on the sheet for about 10 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.  They may sink down a little but they turn into dense, buttery, soft cookies that really are oh so good.  Store them in an airtight container or you can even freeze them if you'd like.

The most important things about this recipe are:

1. Melting the butter

2. Adding enough flour

3. Not baking for too long.

Recipe Source: Pinch of Yum