Travis's Favorite Cookie Recipe | Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip

May 20, 2015 Katie Ralls

In honor of our anniversary yesterday I thought I would share my recipe for Travis's favorite cookie, chocolate and peanut butter chip.

When Travis and I first started dating he proudly proclaimed that he did not really like sweets or baked goods. What?!? How is this relationship ever going to work out??

I brushed his comment aside and continued to bake and began to use Travis as my recipe taster, because he loved me and would try anything I made just to make me happy, awww. And then overtime a miracle happened! Magically,Travis's mindset changed and he began to frequently ask when I was going to be baking something next. Selfishly, I like to give myself all of the credit for this.

Travis's favorite flavor combination is chocolate/peanut butter and his favorite baked item is a cookie. I have made batches and batches of cookies and after combining and tweeking many recipes, I have finally came up with Travis's favorite cookie, chocolate and peanut butter chip. These are exactly everything that a cookie should be; soft and chewy with a thick golden crumb and the perfect ratio of chips to dough.

These cookies speak many languages.

They can say, "I love you."

"I'm sorry."

"Tomorrow will be a better day"

"Congratulations!"

Or maybe just, "I want a damn cookie."

I hope you all enjoy these as much as Travis does! What is your favorite cookie?

Travis's Favorite Cookie | Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip

Yield: 2 Dozen

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. shortening

3/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. white sugar

2 eggs.

1 tbsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 c. flour

1 c. peanut butter chips

1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

Cream together butter, shortening and sugars, beating on medium to high speed for 3 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla on medium speed. Sift together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. On low speed slowly mix in 1/2 cup of the dry ingredient mixture at a time, being careful to not over mix. Lastly, slowly mix in chips until they are just incorporated in the dough. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Cover with saran wrap and chill for an hour in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scoop approximately two tablespoons of dough out onto the cookie sheet (3 cookies x 4 cookies). Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown, the very middle should look a tiny under cooked. Remove from oven and immediately place cookies on a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Enjoy!

The butter and shortening combo create the right texture for the cookie.
Do not substitute one for the other.

Whenever making cookies make sure to always properly
cream your fats and sugars together.

Farm fresh eggs are the best eggs.

Travis agreed to be my hand model for this recipe since these are HIS cookies after all.

Make sure your baking soda is fresh or it won't properly do its magic!

I have a thing for cute measuring spoons.
In case you are needing a gift idea for me...

Slowly add in your dry ingredients so they do not explode everywhere!

Gently mix in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.

You should probably try the dough to make sure it is good...just in case.
Side note- has anyone actually ever REALLY gotten sick from eating
cookie dough out the mixer?

Go ahead and preheat your oven while your cookies are chillaxin'.

Scoop them out onto your sheet.
Buy an ice cream scoop for scooping out cookies if you haven't already done so.

Transfer to a cooling rack as soon as you take them out of the oven.
Let cool and try to not eat more than just one!

Wolfpack Pasta Recipe

May 12, 2015 Katie Ralls

If you read my Bachelorette Premier Party post (if not, go read it quickly and then come right back here), I talked about making meals together on Monday nights with my girlfriends. When the Bachelor/Bachelorette was not on, they were often times referred to as Wolfpack Mondays. Why Wolfpack Mondays? Honestly, the movie The Hangover came out during this period and we were slightly obsessed with it, to the point of knowing the whole movie almost word for word. Therefore we started referring to our group of friends as the Wolfpack.

The core of the wolfpack consisted of three ladies, LV (Lauren), Bee (Brittany) and KMK (myself). We jokingly made up Wolfpack Rules, but really they are not a joke, because these are things you should really take seriously and follow. Some examples include:

WPR58- If offered, always choose a biscuit over toast at breakfast.
WPR21- Never pass up an outlet.
WPR102- Sometimes you have to cover AND hover.

WPR8- If you're cute, it's not creepy.

Lauren and Bee wanted me to remember these so much that one of my wedding gifts was a Jenga game, where every game piece had a different rule or quote on it. We all live in different cities/states now, but I sure miss these ladies and think about them everyday whether or not we talk!

Us at our finest.

One of our favorite go to meals, that we all still make to this day is Wolfpack Pasta. I think it came about from having an excess of pasta noodles and produce from Costco. This pasta dish is SUPER easy to make and feeds a crowd. If you are wanting to do more than just apps and serts for your Bachelorette Premier Party this would be a great option! Or maybe you do not know what you are going to make for dinner next, then try this recipe! No matter when you make it, it is always good!

Wolfpack Pasta

Serves 6-8

1 box bowtie pasta
1 jar of your favorite pesto
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion
2 zucchini
1 large bell pepper (red or yellow)
8 oz. mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts (drained)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 lb. chicken breasts (optional)

Heat large pan over medium heat. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.

Dice and chop all veggies into small bit sized pieces that are all similar in size.

Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside. DO NOT rinse.

Put on tablespoon of olive oil into pan and saute onion, zucchini and bell peppers. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until veggies are cooked but still crisp. Remove veggies from pan and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to pan and saute the mushrooms, artichoke hearts and tomatoes, until just cooked.

*If you are wanting chicken, place the remaining veggies with the others on a plate and cook diced up chicken breasts*

Put everything, including noodles into the pan and pour the jar of pesto sauce over the ingredients. Stir until everything is coated and cook for an additional three-five minutes to make sure everything is heated through. Enjoy!

Successfully dice without tears. Winning.

Handy dandy way to cut peppers.
Make four slices straight down and then chop off the bottom.
No need for seeding.

Feel free to not discriminate and use any color of bell pepper you wish.

Try to keep all of your veggie bites the same size.

Please use crimini mushrooms.
The only place white mushrooms belong are in a poorly lit salad bar.

If you do not have cherry tomatoes, feel free to sub in Romas or another kind.
You will want to see them first though.

Artichokes packed in water are preferable.
You will get enough oil in the pesto sauce.

You can sub in your favorite shape of pasta.
Lauren always preferred bow tie because it was the most fun.

Be careful your pasta water doesn't boil over!

Veggie saute, round one.

Veggie saute, round two.

Drain BUT DO NOT RINSE.
The starchiness will help with sauce stick.

Use your favorite jar of pesto.
There are lots of yummy options.
Or be super fancy and make your own.

Toss everything together in the pan and cook until heated.

Enjoy!

Bachelorette Premiere Party and Free Printable

May 11, 2015 Katie Ralls

Next Monday the Bachelorette will be premiering once again on ABC. Every season I say, " I am not going to watch," then about two weeks into the season someone says something that triggers my attention, I catch up watching online, and then I am once again sucked in. Nowadays, I generally record and zip through it on the DVR, skipping the redundant and super boring parts, so really I am probably only watching 40 minutes of trashy reality TV which makes me feel a little better about myself and less guilty that I am wasting time watching it.

In college whenever a new season of the Bachelor was on, a group of girls would gather at my house, and we would make dinner (tune in tomorrow for one of our favorite Monday night meals), have dessert and watch the show while working on homework and design projects. So for this month's event inspiration I decided to design a Bachelorette Premier Party. If you are lucky, maybe Chris Harrison will crash your party and you will be on TV!

The party is complete with a printable invitation, food and decor ideas! The jury is still out on whether I will be tuning in next Monday, for real this time, but if you throw a Bachelorette Party please share some photos with me!

Click here for your free printable. Print on card stock, cut in half, fold hamburger style and BAM! you have two invitations done. Please only use this printable for your own personal use and do not duplicate or sell.

Will you be tuning in next Monday? Are you Team Kaitlyn or Team Britt?