Tag Archives: chocolate

Easy Way to Satisfy Your Chocolate Fix

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Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1cup butter, softened (or margarine, I guess, but yuck)
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 2/3 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats (I used some of both)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa (sifted)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts (this is optional – you could use white chocolate chips, or dried cranberries or cherries – yum!)

Directions:

Hear the oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugar, butter, milk, and egg in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with a spoon. (I used my KitchenAid mixer for this part, but later, when adding dry ingredients, the dough will be too think and you’ll need to finish mixing with a spoon).

Stir in remaining ingredients, except nuts. Add nuts last.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool 1-2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Chocolate oatmeal cookie & my favorite tea

I made 33 cookies with this recipe but of course, it all depends on how large you make them. I shared with my kids because this quarantine thing is making me miss them like crazy. Handing them a package of cookies and not getting a hug was hard but seeing them smile was good enough. For now.

Stay home. Stay safe. Be kind to grocery store employees.

Fun Friday Taste Test

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Taking a break from serious stuff to embrace some fun today.

I bought three bags of the new M&M flavors: English Toffee, Mexican Jalapeño, and Thai Coconut.

Did a little informal taste test with my colleagues with some surprising (to me) responses.

By the way, today we also had our annual “Eat More Greens” potluck. Plenty of salad with fixings, guacamole with green tortilla chips and spinach dip with cucumber slices. I brought green grapes. I was motivated by “easy.”

Back to the M&Ms…

All the options were peanut but each flavor had a different color scheme. I tried not to tell people what the flavors were ahead of their tasting – just wanted them to pick a favorite.

Surprisingly many already knew there was a jalapeño option and wouldn’t even try it. Not even one little one. Others passed up the whole thing because they didn’t want to be caught off guard. I think my coworkers have trust issues. Or need to try new things occasionally. Most took this challenge very seriously – taking a moment between each flavor to “cleanse their palette” and give each one a careful consideration.

Results? The winner was English Toffee by 2 votes over Thai Coconut. Jalapeño came in third but those who voted it their favorite were adamant and enthusiastic. And when I suggested that flavor may be even better with dark chocolate, eyes lit up. Some of us take our chocolate very seriously.

One person said “none of the above.” Really.

Stop by your local HyVee Drugstore to pick up a bag (or three) to try them yourself.