Whittaker Woman

Help Me Get Fat!

I need some cookie recipes for Christmas. SO... I thought I'd let you help. I will have us a little cookie competition. Starting now till Saturday night. Anyone who sends me a recipe (whittakerwoman@yahoo.com) or post one here will be entered into the Whittaker Family Cookie Contest. This next week I will make each cookie to fine out which ones I need to be baking at Christmas time. Send me your favorite Cookie recipe! Yes its a competition, which means prized friends! All you have to do is send me your favorite recipe!  Bakers start your engines, and send your recipes my way!
Here is the one and only cookie I make...

These are Called Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies but I call them Lori's Cowboy Cookies, because that is who made them for me. :)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans (8 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl. In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla extract. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

NOTE: For 6 dozen smaller cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes.

If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen!

Rachel asked for some cooking lessons and with a twist of my arm and a ski behind her boat I agreed.
We had a great time cooking. We made my famous Thai Chicken, Albondigas Soup, Mexican Green Rice, Ceviche, Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, & garlic bread. The sad part was my man was out of town, and Alyssa is nauseas so it was just us eating it.

Ceviche...
2 pounds imitation Crab
3 tomatoes diced
½ red onion chopped very thin
1/3 of a bunch of cilantro chopped
2 avocados chopped
5-6 limes
Salt and pepper
1 bottle of Tapatio

*Mix all ingredients. Squeeze lime juice over the entire mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over tostadas. Add “ Tapatio” sauce for flavor. 

Heather’s Thai peanut sauce
½ cup peanut oil
½ cup peanuts
1 slice fresh ginger ½ inch thick
2 garlic cloves
1 can sweet condensed milk
2 Tbs soy sauce
4 tsp fish sauce
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves

Heat the peanut oil to nearly smoking in a sauce pan. Turn off the heat and add the peanuts. The peanuts should cook to a golden brown 2-4 minutes. If you burn them, throw them out and start all over again or your sauce will be bitter. You may have to turn on the heat again, but stir the peanuts if you do.
    Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peanuts to the blender or food processor. Along with 1 Tbs of the peanut oil and bend them to a rough paste. Add all the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and blend until smooth. If it is too thick add more oil. Stir in cilantro and serve

*** This sauce is amazing. You can serve it as a dipping sauce. It is great on chicken, shrimp, pork, and even tofu steaks. It is also a great base sauce for a Thai pizza too. You can freeze what you don’t use for next time.
 

H

OH MY LANDS!

This has to be the best breakfast I have ever had!
I went out side got some homegrown tomatoes and basil. Made some egg whites and some fresh mozzarella balls and breakfast was served! What did you have to start the day?

I needed fresh air!

So the other day I was pan roasting garlic cloves in this pan for my favorite GARLIC BREAD. It began to smoke some, so I through the pan into the garage to save the lungs of my familia.
Once the smoke cleared I went out to get my pan and  this is what I got. 

I hate moments like this and this.
H

Costco Or Whittaker?

Sarah had a budget so she was going to go to Costco and get some veggie and fruit plates. I was insulted and told her nope. I would do them with in her budget and it would be a million times better. What do you think? Costco or Whittaker