Cookies for Kids (Not My Kids, They're Tooo Young)

The twins eat solids now so I made them cookies. Mama of the Year, I tell ya! Kidding, kidding.

I made cookies for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.

Fourth year and still going strong. (Years 1, 2 & 3 for your reference!) Just so you know I procrastinated because the twins decided to go on a nap hiatus for 6 days straight, but I showed them and made these babies after the human babies went to bed. I drank wine too. Mom wins. Or the cookies win, not sure yet.

Wine + Bottle Warmer + KitchenAid Mixer = PRODUCTIVITY

The best part about the swap? Well there's a couple best parts. 1. You get 3 kinds of cookies from other bloggers. It's like Christmas before Christmas. 2. We all pay a couple of dollars to participate and all our dollars go to Cookies for Kids' Cancer. Probably my favorite part. 3. There's cookies people, cookies!

Want to know what I got?

*Minty Chocolate Chip cookies from Crazy for Crust

*Dark Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies from The Daily Dabble

*Tie Dye Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies from The Seaside Baker

My husband is still asking when the next package is going to arrive. Can someone tell him it's over, we need to make our own cookies.

So the cookies I made? Well I wanted something chocolate cause I'm a chocolate girl. And I have twins - enough said. So I got on the nutella cookie train and then kinda switched it up and the twins ate 3 dozen. JUST KIDDING, everyone calm down.

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cookies
adapted from Averie Cooks recipe 

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)


heaping 1/2 cup Trade Joe’s Cookie + Cocoa Swirl Spread

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed


1/4 cup granulated sugar


1 large egg


2 teaspoons vanilla extract


1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour


2 teaspoons cornstarch


1 teaspoon baking soda


pinch salt

1 cup white chocolate chips


1 cup dark chocolate chunks

Directions

*Beat the butter, TJ’s spread, sugars, egg and vanilla on medium-high speed until creamed, about 4 minutes.

*Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.

*Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the white and dark chocolate chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

*Using a cookie scoop or Tablespoon measure out the batter and roll into balls, and flatten slightly.

*Place cookies on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days.

*Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet and place cookies at least 2 inches apart and bake for about 8-9 minutes. Cookies will seem slightly undercooked but they firm as they cool (don't overbake!). 

*Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before devouring

It's Very "Purpley"

Okay name that movie, who created the word "purpley?"

ELF!!! Remember when he says "oh that dress is very purpley." Only the bestest movie ever.

Okay who got us all off track? It was you guys it wasn't me. I'm always on track. I mean ask my husband. This girl? Always. On. Track.

Right, the track. Okay so my new cooking method is to make lots of food, with little effort and freeze it so I always have something on hand. I can't have the same thing for 4 days. That's too much. Too much.

So I made lentils. They were brown lentils but then they turned purple. It wasn't my fault. It was the carrots. But purple is a nice color right? We had organic purple carrots and I threw them in the pot. And the lentils turned purple. Purple lentils are delicious though. Delicious.

NOTE: If you read to the end I say the word "poop" and I show you the boys. Just saying.

Purpley Lentils
Ingredients
1 onion or 2 leeks chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
3-5 carrots, chopped
3-5 celery stalks, chopped
1 1/2 cups lentils
2 Tbsp tomato paste
4-6 cups of stock
handfuls of baby spinach (really who measures out baby spinach - just add what you want!)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
GOOD olive oil
salt + pepper

Directions
*Saute onions/leeks, carrots, celery in olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat in a heavy bottom pot (keep those non-stick pans far away friends, far away)
*Add in garlic and sauté until translucent and yummy smelling
*Add in lentils and "toast" for about a minute
*Add tomato paste and stir throughout your pot
*Add salt and pepper to taste
*Add stock and bring to a boil, turn heat to low and cook until lentils are soft - about 40 minutes
This is why I love this recipe, you can leave it on low and tend to baby poops.  Yes there's baby poop written in the middle of my recipe
*At the end add the spinach, red wine vinegar and any additional salt & pepper
*All done, feel free to eat a bowl and freeze the rest

Lentil Faces