Best Chocolate Chip Cookies.

So, once in a great while, like one a year, I make these chocolate chip cookies.  Mainly, to give away and also, because, my poor husband never gets cookies unless someone else gives them to him.  Trying to eat healthy is tough, trying to eat healthy while pregnant, even tougher.  

Nonetheless, I do believe they are the best recipe ever and feel that those who aren't quite as conscious about healthy clean foods would prefer them over a vegan cookie. 

I mean, just look at that dough consistency.  The dough, is just as good as the cookie. 

I've found through the years that I am super anal about the shape of my cookies. My mom always used an ice cream scooper, therefore, I use one. 

Because look at that shape!  

These cookies have just the right amount of crunch on the outside and soft/gooey inside.  I really haven't come across a cookie from any store that is quite as good as this one.  I find that while any cookie is good, they are usually too greasy, too hard, too soft, or something gross.  This recipe comes out perfect every time.  

I got this recipe from a church leader when I was like 14.  I know you see all those things on Pinterest about the best cookie and how to make the best cookies...blah blah blah.  If you have a crappy recipe, you will have a crappy cookie.  

Why not start out right with the right recipe?!

Suzette's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C. Crisco

1 C. Margarine (Room Temp)

1.5 C. Sugar

1.5 C. Brown Sugar

2 Tsp. Vanilla

1 Tsp. Water

4 Eggs

Cream all ingredients above.

5.5 C. White Flour
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Bag Chocolate Chips
1 C. Walnuts (optional)

Mix Together.

The dough is to die for.  
(I know, I know, don't eat raw eggs, you probably shouldn't, but I do, I leave that up do your own self to decide.) 

I know people sift things together...but I just put in some flour in my cup and then add in the salt and baking soda in the middle. Make sure to count well, I always have a hard time remembering how much flour I put in already.  Reserve the last half cup of flour for just in case you may not need it.  But, I generally always do.  Sometimes, when I'm feeling extreme in my baking I will leave out that last half cup and bake a few cookies to see how they come out.  If they are a little too flat looking then I add it in.  But, let's face it, I could count on two fingers how often I've done this.

 

Bake at 375 degree for 10-12 minutes. 
The first batch may take a little longer.  You just barely want a hint of gold on the tops...or maybe you like them cooked a little more.  But either way.  

Delicious. 

Also, I grew up on semi-sweet chips, while the husband grew up on milk chocolate chips.  I never knew the difference, plus I prefer the semi.  So make sure you pick the right bag, because your husband will know the difference.

 

In the past we've frozen these.  They are just as soft as when we baked them.  It makes a fairly large batch (I think I counted 6 dozen?) I really should have remembered to count that this last time. 

Hope you enjoy these!

Suzette's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C. Crisco

1 C. Margarine (Room Temp)

1.5 C. Sugar

1.5 C. Brown Sugar

2 Tsp. Vanilla

1 Tsp. Water

4 Eggs

Cream all ingredients above.

5.5 C. White Flour
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Bag Chocolate Chips
1 C. Walnuts (optional)

Mix Together.

Bake at 375 Degrees for 10-12 Minutes. 

Ewok Style Almost

Crocheted this adorable thing the other day.  Cowl?  What do people call them? 

Well anyways, it started out because I've been seeing this way too many time on Pinterest.

Then I saw this the other day.  I decided we just needed to do it.  

I loved the Ewok movie.  Not the one in Star Wars, but the other one.  I started looking at this free pattern and realized that it was an adult size and I'd have to figure out how to make it fit Aiko.  Looking at the pattern I realized how easy they were to make and that I wouldn't make it an Ewok style after all.  (Mainly, because the husband thought it was kind of weird.)  So instead, I thought we'd make up our own cowl pattern.  No, I didn't right the pattern down as I went...but I'm sure there is a free one somewhere!  The only thing I did use from the free pattern was the ears. 

Since, I mainly crochet with that baby is sleeping, I kind of guess on all the sizes.  She has a much bigger head than I thought.  Plus, I didn't really think about the button holes until it was too late.  Because, really, I'm not going to undo all that...so while it still needs some tweaking, I thought it looked pretty cute on #ohniceandchubbybaby.

Etsy styling

It's always fun to see your creations out in real life!  Just thought I'd share some photos with you guys! 

(While these two bunnies aren't mine, the one in back is!)

Hearts and Belly

Hope you all have a good heart day! I got a wild hair and decided that Aiko needed a Valentine's Day shirt, complete with heart elbow patches and a headband.  I thrifted the shirt with the intention of doing some embellishment and Valentine's Day seemed worthy.

I hope you all get the reference on her shirt. 

Dark are the days.

Well, not really, but I do spend a LOT of time in doors these days.  With the crappy inversion and cold weather, my once tan skin now competes in whiteness with my pale faced husband.  Sigh.  He even looks tanner because of all the freckles.  Plus I'm carrying a large basketball on my gut.  Let's just say, we went for a walk the other day, just around the block, and I had to stop and rest...a few times.   

Which, I can't believe how many people are pregnant and due in the spring.  It really is crazy, plus I find it strange to be pregnant with most of the actual livestock in the world.  I keep thinking of all the sheep, donkeys and cows that are pregnant out there, because it's spring time right?  I dunno, the correlation kind of bothers me right now. 

I'm reaching a little too hard now.  I was reading back to my old blogs and thought "I used to be funny and much more adventurous."  It's that #ohniceandchubbybaby's fault, her world has overtaken ours with cute baby times.  Which, I wouldn't trade for the world, but I need to write about something else other than babies. 

One of these are not the same.

"I spent a couple hours with garlic in my ears," I say to the husband.  He actually sounded surprised.  I zoned (short for footzoned.) my friends little boy the other day and couldn't tell if this is what an ear infection felt like.  I've had a cold for the last couple days and my ear had been feeling kind of funny.  Having recalled from our friend Cam, that his mom used to do this to him when he was little with ear infections, I thought why not? 

Just the day before I took some mashed up garlic, spread it in a cake pan and then sat there with my feet in it for about an hour.  One of my fellow footzoner's put this online.  Garlic is suppose to draw out the bacteria/virus.  This is all after using essential oils and zoning myself. 

Today and yesterday, I was exceptionally grumpy and decided it was because I was just a little backed up.  (Pregnancy does this to ya.)  So I made myself a garlic enema.  

I also made some spaghetti sauce last night...which apparently two garlic gloves was too much.  Because even though I can't breather through my nose, I could totally smell the garlic reeking out of Aiko's mouth and so could my sister. (As she constantly kept commenting on.)

This is more a "typical" week for me.  While I don't always use so much garlic, or maybe I do, my mom always asks me "where did I come from?"  See, I am not like the others in really any of my extended family.  They all think I'm kind of weird, especially when I tell them that "there's an oil you could use for that" or "green smoothies would help," or "you might want to stop eating dairy."  But then, just once a in awhile, my mom will say...maybe you are like your grandma.  Apparently, my grandma was a little more prone towards natural remedies.  Now that I think about it, I remember her drinking vinegar, honey and cinnamon once in a while.  Or making her own sun teas...or picking dandelion leaves from the lawn and eating them.  My auntie actually told me that years ago, when she was trying to have babies, her mom called her and said, "There is this stop on the back of your foot that is suppose to help you get pregnant."   Come to find out, my grandma and great aunt were actually reading some reflexology (while not footzoning...it's kind of similar) books.  So here I am, not that crazy after all.  My mom even found some of my gram's notes.  Grams used to keep notebook after notebook filled with her miscellaneous notes. 

Pinterest has nothing compared to these little nuggets of knowledge:

pinecone

I tell you...I'm not sure where she was going with this one.

cough 

1/2 t garlic?

1 t pine

1/2 anise

mixed in 1 c water and soap for 10 minutes.  strain - may add 1 tsp of honey.

Ummm...soap?  I think I read that right.  I agree with everything except for the soap part. 

place plus toys in a plastic bag-put in freezer  24 hours once/week

Don't germs just freeze?

nightmare

cloves of garlic rub on feet before go to bed - prevent nightmares.

Oh, grams....if only you knew how much we have in common. 

bedwetter -

suck on cinnamon stick after they come home or accupressure - hand pinkie.  Use your thumb nail in each line, press for 10 seconds. 

Not sure which of her kids had this problem...I should probably investigate.

hiccups

hot thread & suck on it and put on babies forehead.

  Well, there you have it, proof that my weirdness came through my mom, well, some of it did anyway. 

#ThriftedThursdays

Often times, the husband and I just want to get out of the house, but we're too cheap to pay for things.  So we thrift.  I've gotten better over the years.  I don't buy everything I see, like I used too.  I used to think I should just buy it because.  I feel I've almost perfected my thrifting skills.  I found these lovely ceramic bowls for 10 bucks for six of them. 

Plus the stack inside each other and match my kitchen ever so nicely.  Like here.

Oh my.

Sometimes, I forget HOW #ohniceandchubbybaby came upon her name. Then I find this...

 

 So much roundness.  She must have been around 3 or 4 months.

At 15 months she's a whopping 19 pounds and stands about 23 inches.  Poor kid, she just doesn't have a chance.  I was getting semi worried then realized that all the women in the husband's family and mine are barely over 5 feet tall.  So really, she's just going to be a petite little person.  She has her mom's super short legs. 

This kid will eat anything.  I mean anything.  She likes spicy, sour, all textures, I really can't think of things that she won't eat.  She drinks green smoothies like it's her last meal and usually ends up eating half of my plate.  Everyone always comments how she's usually eating every time they see her.  That's just what she does.

She's almost walking.  We've now hit the point where she could walk, but mainly refuses too.  We're still working on it, but she's been pulling and hoisting herself on things since she was 7 months I'm not too worried. Plus, she's so little, it would be WEIRD looking.  

Aiko loves her dad.  To say that there is a preference is an understatement.  She flat out loves him and prefers him to this mama at all times.  The husband has this calming effect and he will usually give her whatever she wants.  Wherever he is, she prefers to be in his space watching/helping him on his project he's working on.  

Her favorite toy is this stuffed Monkey Auntie Mitsie gave her.  She makes monkey noises, gives him hugs and just loves him.  Mix monkey with her blanket and she's in heaven.  

She understands more than I think she does.  I basically talk to her like a grown human and she seems to understand all that I say.  She can say like 10 words and many animal sounds.  She LOVES to dance, sing and play. 

She really is a sweet baby.  My mom pointed out that perhaps I should really try to enjoy (not that I'm not) these last couple months with just her.  It won't ever be just her again.  Which, kind of blows my mind. 

Barn Door with a little sun.

Today, we will be concentrating on our funny little hallway space to the left.  This is a picture right after we bought it to start redoing the floors.  

We actually finished it like 6 months ago, well mostly, I just barely painted the trim on it.  I really like all the barn doors that have been trending and wanted to try it in our house. 

(Click the photo for the link.)

Problem was, most of the pictures showing barn doors in a home were on a super long wall.  We didn't have that option.  So we used what we had...mostly.  

When we moved into this house, there were almost no doors.  No doors on the cabinets, no doors on the closet, bashed up doors (if there were doors) on the bedrooms...ya know, classy stuff like that.  Since this house was built in the 50s, we have all built in closets with built in drawers.  (These are before pictures as well.)  They also have those awesome hidden tracks, which apparently once hung in this house. 

Since we couldn't afford nor actually place a bar like you see below.  The husband had the idea to take the tracks out of the closets and put them up over the hallway closet.  Because of course, I just didn't want to get conventional doors, that would be too easy and normal for me. 

(Click the photo for the link.)

When the husband and I start a project we usually argue, debate, yell (sometimes in heated anger) and then usually one of us gives in. It's kind of a long process. He's a graphic designer and I have a crazy style. I mean...we have pretty extensive conversations/arguments over font styles. 

Yes, it's exhausting for both of us. 

We finally settled on using just plywood doors (which you can get them to cut to size at Lowe's, we were just being lazy and didn't yet purchase a good circular saw, apparently, we'd borrowed them through all our remodels.) They fit the budget and size worked out well. Once we decided that, I figured that I should paint something on them. I mean, why not right? My friend just said the other day, "You never know how long you are going to be somewhere, might as make it your home." Which, when we moved in with my mom 6 years ago, we thought it would be a couple months...if only we knew it would be 5 years. 

My next step was decided on which pattern, which again, after much debate, we finally decided on mustard yellow in the blue pattern below. I really liked all of them, but realized I needed it to go quick and easy. I don't have much patience for the little details when it comes to painting. 

   

 (Click the photo for the link.)

 The husband was out one day and got the MUSTARD paint.  Let me emphasize MUSTARD. Remember how I said he was a graphic designer? I know he has the color code memorized for websites, but what he brought home was a School Bus (butt) yellow color.  

I almost died.  

For some reason, I went ahead with the painting.  The pattern was super easy and I did actually use a yard stick.  I didn't really measure, I just eyeballed it.  (My usual method that doesn't always work out...but this time it did).  The husband covered up the tracks with some trim and a small little track at the base to keep it in line.  We hung up the painted doors and didn't love the color.  (Duh, School Bus (butt) yellow remember?)  Then the husband said that we should stain it.  (We had some left from the floors.)

I loved it and still do. 

The stain really mellows out the yellow.  The doors can slide to either side and act like a big piece of art.  (Well, I think so anyway.)  

We were just talking today how we could probably actually afford some nicer wood than plywood, but I like the texture and really, why fix it if it's not broke?  Plus, it's highly unlikely that we would really do it again. 

Once again, my husband is awesome.  You'd think with my construction background that I would do this myself...don't be silly.  While, I could, it's much easier to say, "this is what I'd like and please will you do it."  I mean, that's what one really does with a Construction Management (emphasis added) degree right? 

Plus, the husband it way better at it than I am.   

I mean really, who wakes up THIS happy? Perhaps it's the Polka Dots.

HEY!!

#ohniceandchubbybaby is pretty hilarious.  She always wakes up super happy.  Happy enough that it is contagious!  For a semi-unaffectionate child, SHE LOVES to HUG this monkey and give him kisses.  So while she won't really hug, snuggle or kiss us, at least we know she knows how to give affection. 

Then, when she is done showing off, she will just drop him and say "up." Her hair was just crazy this day too. 

What do you think of her polka dots?  The husband doesn't love it...while it make me happy.  I've been seeing them on Pinterest everywhere and thought it would be okay for a boy and girls room.  (This second baby is going in there too.)  

I usually have this thing against circles (I don't know why, but I do.) But my Auntie LaNaya told me one day how Aiko looks so cute in Polka Dots...I thought, why not?  

I thought about painting the polka dots, but I find it upsetting when you have to paint over them one day and then you can totally see the polka dots layer.  It's just annoying.  So I found some super cheap die-cuts on Etsy here.  I had considered going and doing my own die-cuts, but the paper is expensive and then buying the circle cut was just silly.  Even with the 40% off coupons.  Plus, I'm pregnant, going to the store seems to be my least favorite thing to do. 

So, temporary is always best right?  I took some crappy tape (which really, wasn't a good idea but I was ready to put these dots up dang-it.) and arranged them with Auntie Mitsie.  I know, I know, that camera ruins the picture.

So, a few weeks later and the dots are lifting, I should really invest in better tape, but nonetheless, I really like it.  I kind of wanted them to be uniform, but that would have taken too much brain power.  I've been waiting for my sister Hannah to come and help me arrange them.  (She's slightly OCD and likes to do stuff like this.  We call this a "Hannah thing.")  But for now, in their haphazard way, it's just the way I roll. 

Oh yeah.  Want to meet "Snag?"  The husband asked me one day if he could start calling her "Snag"  See, that top tooth is quite large. (I couldn't get a picture well enough of it.) Luckily, the other tooth is hopefully going to pop through any day.  (I've been saying that for months too.)

So even though this is totally a bunch of baby photos...I hope it makes you a little happier when you wake up.

Because really.  #ohthatbaby