Mayonnaise

 

 I have been getting a TON of questions about my being on the Trim Healthy Mama plan. 

I've been able to follow it and adapt it to my family very easily. I tend to do better on low carb eating anyway, which means higher, good fats.  Darn. 

I've been on the quest to eating as clean as possible and once I knew I could eat mayo without guilt and actually read the label, I could no longer eat it without guilt. The crap in a jar of mayonnaise is staggering. Go check it out. It's a jar o junk. 

So I decided to make my own. Very easy. Very. I'm so impressed with myself ;) 

I have find it doesn't last NEARLY as long as the store bought, because, well, all the JUNK to keep its shelf life longer. So I make it a small batch at a time and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. 

Mayonnaise 

• 1 egg 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard 
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar 
• Juice of half a lemon-a fresh lemon 
• 3/4 Cup avocado oil 

I mix mine in, what else, a mason jar :) Mix all the ingredients except oil. Whisk together-I use a hand held whisk attachment on my hand held blender. Whisk til blended. Then slowly-ever so slowly, add your oil. Blend til thick and creamy and mayonnaise-y. 

I use avocado oil because it's pretty much flavorless and light. 

Your flavor options are endless. Add a clove of minced garlic, some chopped rosemary, use apple cider vinegar or red wine or even balsamic vinegar instead of the white wine vinegar. 

I use it for anything and everything you'd use mayonnaise for. I pretty much have to control the urge to lick the beater. It's that good. 

salad in a jar Q/A and my kitchen wall :)

 

 many questions have been asked since i posted my salad picture yesterday and while i don't have the monopoly on answers ;) i will answer to my experience and what i did to make these salads THM workable. 

Q.  how long do they last?

• i have had these last up to 2 weeks.  i do think packing them tightly is what keeps them so fresh.  the other trick is to keep your dressing as far away from your greens as possible.  i actually like doing this so much more than daily preparing a salad, because once i have thought and planned, i don't have to think again on my meal choice, either for lunch or when the rest of the family wants something NOT THM friendly.  it also makes the greens last MUCH longer than when they are in their bulk containers.

Q.  what kind of jars and where do you get them?

• i kinda covered this in my first post about these little gems.  i use mason or ball jars.  i have also used walmart brand.  they are canning/jelly jars.  they are in the area with storage/canning supplies or pickling supplies.  i have found them at target, walmart, true value stores and grocery stores.  i use mason jars for EVERY. STINKIN. THING. so i have them lying around.  i don't like the metal rings as they rust easily and there are 2 parts to keep up with.  the plastic lids can be found in the same section with the jars.  this is a great time to stock up on them because with the gardening season comes canning season. but any jar with a lid will do.  i have tried these with plastic containers but the salads just don't last as long.  these jars are the widemouth pint and quart.  

Q.  do you have to seal them, vacuum pack, etc? 

• nope

Q.  what kind of protein do i use?

• again, i covered this a bit in my last post but i keep getting questions.  i use chicken, turkey (either cooked at home or deli meat--boars head without fillers, sugars, etc.)  i have used ground beef as taco meat.  one of my favorites is to buy a package of salami and pepperoni and chop that up and make it an italian type salad.  i will usually take a boiled egg with me to put on top as there is barely room for anything else and taking an egg is not a big deal.  

Q. what kind of dressings?

• i typically make my own but the creamy one in the photo is one i found at whole foods.  its a white cheddar and doesn't have all the junk most dressings have.

Q.  what other salads can you make?

• again, i found these on pinterest.....you can too!  if you don't eat THM, its your choice.  if you do follow the THM plan, find a recipe you like and just substitue or leave out what makes it not on plan for you.  i typically do well with a cross over meal tossed in frequently, so i just make sure the ingredients are still on plan.

any more questions?  i am happy to answer what i know and what i don't, i will make up and act like i know ;)

oh...and my wall, LOL....i may have gotten more questions about this than the jars.  as  you can see its in need of some TLC, but when we moved in this house, it was VERY 90's with floral wallpaper EVERYWHERE.  we had just moved from a 100 year old victorian and i wanted to keep my stuff and the look.  i wanted my kitchen to look like a farm house/kitchen.  we decided to keep the wall paper and paint over it to 1) save money and 2) keep the smooth walls.  I LOVE IT.  i have several kitchen gadgets from flea markets and my grandma and also decided to hang my cast iron skillet.  voila.  nothing spectacular but its mine and i love it.

trim healthy mama and how i make it work for me.

last august i found this eating plan completely by accident.  my dr had prescribed apple cider vinegar to be taken daily.  this became a little more than  i could tolerate well...as in i couldn't choke it down any more.  i posted something on facebook about needing to find another way to chug it and all these comments about good girl moonshine kept poppin up.  when i googled that (secretely hoping it had tequila in it) THM was mentioned in almost every post.  i looked that up and i have been on a get healthier journey that is finally working for me.  if you want to know more, google it....what did i ever do before google?????  if you want to hear more about my own personal journey with THM, i am HAPPY to oblige.  

it has been a trial and error situation for me, and add in beginning to work full time, i had a challenge on how to make this continue working for me.  i have some regular things that work well and i would love to write about it all, but you can find most of what i do on pinterest or facebook.   BUT.  i have made it work for ME.  

this is one of those things.  i have seen these little jewels on pinterest for years now and been afraid to try them.  i LOVE salads!  but only when someone else does all the prep work.  I love salad bars but they are too pricey for me.  and i NEEEEED more salads in my life.  so.   i decided to bite the bullet and try these out.  I LOVE THEM.  i take them to work daily and they are so good and i feel so much better first knowing i'm eating better and then i feel better because i AM eating better.  

i will explain more about the science behind what i do, but for now (and it will only make sense to those already eating this way) i will tell how i make these salads fit into the plan.  

i have made most of these 'S' meals, which means they are high protein, high fat/low carb.  Some are 'E' but not as much because i don't do well on high protein, high carb/low fat.  

to keep this from being too long on details when all you want is the specifics, i will get to it.  

these can be any size jar.  the big quart size make a nice salad to share or to feast on.  i made them this size first and they were too big...time wise and appetite wise.  i had to throw much more out than i wanted, so went to the pint size.  they are perfect for me.  

i think glass makes a difference in the staying power of the greens.  i haven't tried anything else, but what i have read makes me want to stick with mason jars.  and honestly, i have mason jars coming out my ears because I LOVE MASON JARS.  I DID purchase the plastic lids because i don't like to deal with rust.  

the key is the layering order.  you want the dressing to stay as far away from the greens as possible.  so...what i do and did here is in the order i put them is

• dressing
• grape tomatoes (not too many if your doing an 'S' meal
• zucchini
• cucumbers
• bellpeppers
• purple onion (again...not too much)
  

basically any vegetable that being merinaded in the dressing won't hurt or will make it better--broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus...you get the idea. 

then...i put in either seeds, nuts, olives or avocado, or grains or beans (if I am making an E)

next would come cheese/meats.  if i am doing an E, i use fat free feta.  for meats, i have used what i have or i go buy specific meats for what i want.  i really like pepperoni and salami cut up with parmesean and cheddar.  i have used taco meat and made a taco salad.  i have used left over baked chicken for both S and E meals. i put the cheese in first and then the meat.  

then comes the greens.  this is fun because i can use greens that i typically wouldn't buy.  i buy the big containers of probably spinach and then 'power' greens.  i stuff stuff stuff the top of the jar to the point i have to hold it in to put the lid on.  

i put the lid on and put them all in the frig in order of what fuel source they are.  

you HAVE to get them full to over the top brimming to keep them fresh.  

DRESSINGS:

I have several favorites and for the most part I make them myself. 

by the nature of dressings, they would typically be an S but what i do is switch out half the oil with water.  Can't even tell.  

two of my favorites so far are:

HERB VINAIGRETTE 

• 1/2 Cup Olive oil
• 1/4 Cup ACV
• 1/4 Cp Braggs Aminos
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tablespoon dijon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

mix together in a jar

STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE

• 1/4 Cup olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons sugar free strawberry preserves
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper 
  

mix together in a jar

i use about 2 tablespoons of dressing in the bottom of my jars. 

i will post answers to most of the questions i have gotten in my next post......later tonight or tomorrow.  

it's a little crunchy around here.....

not sure what it is

being without work/stable income for almost a year?

realizing how much junk we put in and on our bodies?

reading '7, a mutiny against excess', by Jen Hatmaker?

not sure what it is, but i am more and more interested in making my own...whatever can be made at home...ok, not veggies. i have a purple thumb. but if i can make it from something that is ALREADY made, i am trying it.

here is a laundry soap i have made for a while now and really like it. it ends up costing .40 a gallon!!!! you just can't beat that! i always pick the most natural, cheap brand i can and i end up paying more than 15.00 for maybe a gallon.

laundry soap

it only takes 3 ingredients--4 if you want an essential oil for scent

• a soap of some sort,
• washing soda
• borax

the soap: i have used fels naptha. it is found in the laundry aisle. the other options for soap are ivory or another brand called, zote. any of these will work. if you use ivory or zote, you will need to use the whole bar. washing soda is sodium carbonate or soda ash (baking soda is sodium bicarbonate). it is a white powder. its purpose is to help remove dirt and orders. the brand to look for is arm & hammer washing soda. i find it in the laundry section of my grocery store. many people have a hard time finding this locally.

borax: borax is a naturally occurring mineral: sodium borate. It’s purpose is as a laundry whitener and deodorizer. The brand to look for is 20 Mule Team.

i have found all items at my local wal-mart

NOW: to make it :) 1/3 bar fels naptha, or soap of choice ½ cup washing soda ½ cup borax powder ~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~(this makes it easier to mix, but I have used 2-1 gallon pitchers)

grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. remove from heat. pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. next, add your soap mixture and stir. now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. use ½ cup per load.

~the finished soap will not be a solid gel. it will be more of a watery/jelly type mixture~the soap is a low sudsing soap. so if you don’t see suds, that is ok. suds are not what does the cleaning, it is the ingredients in the soap.

if you DO want your soap to have some sort of scent you can scent this with ½ to 1 oz. of essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice. my favorite scent is called 'creative blend' that i get at sprouts

chicken salad

i had the privilege of having some chicken salad with an old friend and a few of her friends when we met up for lunch in Canton....that's a whole 'nother post....make that 2 posts....one on canton and one on my friend Kaye.  well.  eating her chicken salad reminded me that i had taken pictures of my recipe last year and had never posted it.  we had it for dinner tonight and it is always a favorite....so again, i was reminded that i had the fixings not only for food, but for giving you the recipe. i think i got this recipe originally from the pantry diner in downtown mckinney.  i think i have said before that one of my favorite things to do is to try to replicate something i really like.  so, after a few tries and kids taste testing...we came up with our own version of it....

it has become the go to recipe for picnics, lake days, travel days, you name it, it works ;)  we usually have it with club crackers, just to make it easier to pack and eat on the go.  we have been eating gluten free for a while now, so we have it with rice crackers.  it is VERY good!  on of my kids favorite ways to eat it is just to digit with chips and veggies....i am always a popular person when this is on the menu......you would think i would make it more.......

chicken salad

• 1 rotisserie chicken (this is a much, MUCH easier way to do this....)
• 1 cup toasted pecans, cooled and chopped
• 2 cups red grapes, halved, or if very large, quartered
• 1 cup of  mayonnaise, sour cream, greek yogurt or a mixture of any or all
• and for my secret ingredient--juice of 1 lemon
• salt to taste
• and for my secret, secret ingredient--1/4 cup water

strip, shred or chop the chicken....combine all ingredients except the water...mix well....add the water and mix to a good spreadable consistency....you can add more dressing as you desire....

serve on bread, with crackers or on top of salad greens.

i will tell you.....when i grocery shop, i try to get it all done in one day.  when i actually get that done :| i am beat when it is all said and done.  and we usually have to grab some food out....kinda defeats the purpose of grocery shopping, wouldn't ya say?  so.  i decided i would buy a rotisserie chicken (the last i bought 2 to have enough for chicken salad, also) and i cook some version of quinoa, and a veggie or two.  it has become an easy {maybe not cheapest} way to have dinner in on shopping days....

Christmas breakfast

our christmas days are  a long, drawn out, amazingly fun process.  it has evolved into a whole day of eating and opening presents.  i guess that's no different from any other family, but one difference for us, is we don't open everything in one fell swoop.  now that the children are a bit older--and that's relatively speaking....every present is wrapped and nothing is placed under the tree until christmas eve....so some of the surprise is all the presents appearing out of no where :)  we have stockings to open and presents to unwrap.  we wait until everyone is {somewhat} awake and we have cups of coffee, cider and hot chocolate ready for the stocking opening.  once everyone has their warm drink of choice, we all gather in the den and stockings are handed out.  we go around, one by one and reach in--without looking is the ideal--and pull out one thing at a time.  this can take up to an hour or two for the whole family to empty their stockings. once that is done, we stop and have breakfast.  i have found that breakfast needs to be on the lighter side or no one wants to eat Christmas dinner (actually lunch, since its around 2).  i am also learning how to keep it very simple, since i would have already been cooking the few days prior and will be the rest of the day.  we have had cinnamon rolls (recipe here), breakfast casseroles, scrambled eggs and muffins, etc.    our favorite so far has become fruit soup and biscuits.  i know my sweet husband needs some protein with breakfast, so this year, i will make some mini quiches to go along with our soup. after breakfast, we go back to the tree and open presents.  we are usually there until time for lunch.

this soup is wonderful!  it is so refreshing and light.  and. so. simple. what i love about it, is that i throw it all together the day before--whenever there is time--and its just ready for us when its time to eat.  the other thing i do (which i did tonight) is make enough biscuits for that meal and freeze the dough on a cookie sheet--several days or weeks ahead.  once they are frozen, i put them in a ziplock and when we are about ready to break for breakfast, i throw them on a cookies sheet and pop them in the oven.

i will make the mini quiches the day or two before christmas also.  my goal is to make this as easy as possible for that day.  i want to be in the den, enjoying my family and not in the kitchen...until they have all crashed on the sofas :)

i found this soup recipe years and years ago in a cookbook series on healthy eating.  i wouldn't say its exactly healthy, but it is a favorite and with a few wise choices, it can be healthier than most foods :) we have this for dinner many times during the summer, too.

Fruit Soup

recipe as written makes 11 cups without bananas (which we never add)

• 12 oz package frozen raspberries
• 16 oz package frozen strawberries
• 12 oz package frozen blueberries
• 20 oz can pineapple chunks, unsweetened, undrained
• 16 oz can peach slices, unsweetened, undrained and cut in bite size pieces
• 16 oz can pear halves, unsweetened, undrained and cut in bit size pieces

Combine all portions of fruit in a BIG bowl.  let stand about 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in refrigerator to let frozen fruit thaw and juices to mingle.  refrigerate until ready to serve.  Add bananas (if desired) to each portion served.

*this will keep several days in the refrigerator.  Add bananas only to the portion to be used immediately, since they will turn.

we serve with whipped cream on top and biscuits.  we almost always have left overs and use this as a base for smoothie or a topping on ice-cream, oatmeal..whatever.  you name it, it works here :)

NOW--i usually make these biscuits to go with this. but lately, the kids have been asking for buttermilk biscuits with this, since the usual ones are a bit sweet.

i learned to make these biscuits from my mother-in-law.  she, like me, doesn't use recipes for most of her meals, and this is no exception.  i am sure she was taught just like she taught me to make them...and, while they are NOT good for you, they are pretty darn good.  there are no measurements...you just have to 'eyeball' it and go on experience--as you get used to making them

buttermilk biscuits

• self rising flour
• crisco
• buttermilk

What she taught me:  put a couple of cups of flour in a bowl.  take a couple of heaping spoons of crisco and cut (and by cut she meant mush it with your hands until it was all blended) in until the constancy of cornmeal.  (what I do is blend it all in and if I can form a ball with the flour/crisco mix with my hands, without feeling the greasiness of the crisco, you got the right mix :)).  add buttermilk, a little at a time until you have a moist heap (hehe, i told you it wasn't precise)....and it will be gooey, but those make for flaky biscuits.  put dough out on a floured board and put just enough flour on top to be able to flatten with your fingers and it not stick to you.  flatten out to about 1/2" and cut with a biscuit cutter--I use a regular sized mouth mason jar.   lay out on an ungreased cookie sheet--sides barely touching.  bake at 450 for about 5 minutes.  they will be light brown on top and maybe very light on the bottom.

shredded beef tacos--or fuzzy's tacos :)

i found this recipe in the dallas morning news a loooooong time ago....we have adapted it {of course} and now it has a life of its own....what i love about this recipe is that it is a crock pot recipe....so i can fix it and forget it :) we have also found one of our favorite eating out places....fuzzy's.  they have great queso and wonderful shredded beef tacos.  well. one day, we decided that we could recreate fuzzy's tacos with our own shredded beef recipe.  the secret is the toppings on the taco.....

shredded beef tacos

• 1 roast (i use whatever kind is on sale and big enough to feed the masses
• 1 large onion, cut in quarters
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 jar salsa (we use Joe T. Garcia's)
• shredded cheese
• crumbled feta cheese--THIS is the secret ingredient to copying fuzzy's
• chopped cilantro--this is the second secret ingredient
• tortillas--either flour or corn (corn is our preference for this recipe)
• thinly sliced purple onion
• shredded lettuce
• additional salsa--either jarred or homemade {see this post for my homemade version :) }
• fuzzy's style garlic sauce--recipe to follow :)

i put the onion, garlic and water in the crock pot and then lay the meat on top.  i cook on warm if we want it for dinner the next day....or low if we want it for lunch after church.....when the roast is tender, take it out and shred it.  dump the crock pot drippings out and put the roast back in with the jar of salsa.  mix well and cook until warmed.  meanwhile, i cook our corn tortillas in a skillet with a little olive oil.

to serve, we spread the garlic sauce on a hot tortilla and put the the meat in the tortilla and start adding your favorite toppings.

Creamy Garlic Sauce

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tb. butter
• 1 cup mayo
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Sauté garlic in butter over low heat until golden (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic/butter to 1 cup mayo and blend.  Add pepper and garlic powder.  Put on your taco first thing and enjoy!!!

so yummy!!!

homemade yogurt

im taking a break from the trees story....i found my journaling from that time frame and have been reading through.  it is bringing back some memories and thoughts that i would love to express all of it accurately...so this is something that i have wanted to post for a while.  I have several other 'homemade' recipes; bread, mayonnaise, granola, pancakes and the like that are really, really good and easier than you would think. we LOVE our yogurt.  we use it as a base for smoothies, we eat it with granola and fruit and have it with sweetener and sometimes instant coffee mixed in to make a coffee yogurt.  i also use it when buttermilk is called for and we don't have it.  i use it in my pancake recipe when i need to.  it is so easy to make.  the hardest part is keeping it warm for a long enough period for it to get as firm as we like it.  i use a heating pad and it has an automatic shut-off.  that is a pain.

i used to make yogurt a long time ago with a yogurt maker.  it made too small of containers of it for the amount we eat.  i make a gallon of yogurt at a time now.  I also used to make it with a yogurt base as a starter.  that was also a pain.  it can be done, but lots of times, i am not thinking ahead to keep some to make more.  i found this yogurt starter at sprouts and it works great!

it is so easy...I buy a gallon of my choice of milk...you can use full fat, 2%, low fat or fat free.  its easy to make a quart of it at a time, also....i make it in a dutch oven, bring it to a boil then let it cool down.  add the powder, stir well and turn the heating pad on it until it is as firm as desired.  we like it really thick, so it stays in there at least 24 hours.  once the heat of down, the fermenting and thickening stops.  i then put it into mason jars and refrigerate.

Texas Caesar Salad

you asked for it....you got it....this is one of THE BEST salad recipes i have.  I got this from a friend MANY years ago and it has become such a favorite.  i used to shy away from making it as it has a few steps and when you have a bunch of little ones hanging on your legs, its just hard to do it all...BUT...it is SOOOOO worth it!!!  if i am really pushed for time, i make it in stages...the dressing and crutons will keep.  what i also really like about it, is that it can be vegetarian or with meat.  we usually have it with meat, but keep that on the side--for two reasons--to keep the salad fresh and the meat from making it soggy and for serving purposes....my kids, when they were little wanted everything separated....so, they can have all we have, just ours is all mixed up :).  for the meat...one of my new secret weapons in fixing this is the Mexican Grocery store and get marinaded fajita meat from the meat counter...its WONDERFUL!!!!  but, in a pinch and what i did in the old days :| is get chicken breasts and marinade them in equal parts of teriyaki sauce, worchestershire sauce and lemon juice.  then sprinkle garlic, salt and pepper on them and let them sit a couple of hours. Grill as you normally would.  the croutons and dressing are THE BEST part of the whole thing, so i usually make double of them and then we eat on this for several days...it makes a TON (even for our family) and we eat it ALL up...we LOVE it...serve with chips and salsa, a mango margarita  iced tea and you have a wonderful meal.... Texas Caesar Salad

Dressing

• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots or green onion
• 2 anchovies (opt)
• 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded
• 1 c olive oil
• 1/2 c red wine vinegar
• 1/2 c. grated Romano cheese
• 1 egg yolk, or 1 T plain yogurt
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 1 t lemon juice
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Process in food processor or blender

Salad

• 3 heads romaine lettuce
• 2 red bell peppers
• 3 ears fresh corn kernels
• 1/2 c. tomatoes, fresh or sun dried
• 1/2 c.  fresh grated Romano or parmesan cheese, Grilled chicken, sliced, opt.

Shred lettuce, cut peppers in strips and combine with remaining ingredients.  You can saute corn in a little oil if desired, but let cool before combining with salad.  Serve with croutons and dressing.  Adding chicken makes  this a complete meal in itself.

Croutons:

• 1/2 loaf bread, cut in 1/2" cubes
• 1/2 c. melted butter
• 1 t. chili powder
• 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (opt)
• 1/2 t. cumin
• 1/4 t. salt

Combine butter and spices.  Toss bread cubes in butter mixture and  spread on cookie sheet.  Bake in 350 oven till browned.

{healthy} summertime snacking…..

well, the pressure is on and  i am trying hard to get my recipe for Texas Caesar Salad up, but to do that, i have to actually cook it to have a picture (well, that is the goal i have set)...it will be next week, hopefully that i will have time to do that.  in the meantime, i will share a tried and true family favorite and a new one that we LOVE!!!  the first one is watermelon slush...it is so easy and you probably already have your own version of it.... there is no exact recipe....what we do, is get a seedless watermelon (i don't even bother with the others now)...cut it in half and eat one half :)  cut out the meat of the other half and blend it up.  i don't add sugar or anything....it is good by itself....now, you can experiment and see what your family likes....i have tried lime in it and the kids HATED it..so we just stick to the basics....blend it up and pour it into a 9x13 pan.  cover and freeze.  when you are ready to have it, take it out and let it soften just a bit...you just want it soft enough to cut chunks out of it and put it in the blender again....you might need to add water, but sometimes just the melted juice is enough.  blend until desired consistency...that's it....just be prepared for brain freeze and a mouth that can not talk.  we love these and try to have them at least once a week.

this next recipe is AMAZING!!!

almond butter chocolate chip cookies......GLUTEN FREE, FLOUR FREE!!!!

• 1 cup unsalted almond butter, stirred well
• 3/4 cup sucanat
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 oz dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, stir together first 5 ingredients until blended.  Stir in chocolate.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 15 more minutes.

NOW--my notes:  we doubled this and could have easily quadrupled it...these cookies are so YUMMY!!! YI would cut the sucanat to 1/2 cup.   if you don't know what that is, google it.  I use it all the time in place of brown sugar.  it has lots of good nutrients in it, but if used too heavy, it can taste like black strap molasses....YUCK...if you have ever had to take that for anemia, you know you don't want your cookies to taste like that :P  .  I use Gheridelli 60% cocoa--again, health food store purchase...maybe Central Market....

these don't look like they will stick together and act like cookies, but they do.

so, so yummy!!!!

linked up with chattingatthesky and steadymom and sweetshottuesday