I'm so happy you have found my sweet corner of the internet. Let's have some fun! As a busy Mom of 3, I'm here to help you find the simplicity in cooking. I've already developed easy dinners, side dishes, breakfasts and desserts for you so there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Use my recipes to feed your family!

latest recipes from the blog

Powered by Blogger.
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.
Monday, June 17, 2013

Out-of-this-World MONSTER Cookies


I've baked a lot of items in my day, but never once have I baked monster cookies.  I have a good friend whose mom is known for her monster cookies.  You know, like she is expected to bring them to every gathering or we'll turn around and walk out.

A few months back I talked about how I finally conquered the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.  Well, somehow, I got this one right on the first try.  Beginner's luck I suppose.

More on these colorful beauties later.



I had a friend post her "dreams" on Facebook the other day.  Not the dreams she has while she's sleeping, but the actual dreams she has for her life.  I thought it was quite brave of her.  I mean, who actually has the guts to say to the world , "hey, I want to do this and it might sound crazy, but it is my dream..."  Not too many people.

Then I thought, maybe I should be brave and say a few of my dreams for my readers.  Most already know my one dream - to write and publish a successful cookbook.  {Still working on that dream!}

Many of you might not know my other dreams.  Here we go.  I'm crossing my fingers and toes that you don't think I'm crazy or stupid for sharing these with the world.  Please don't make fun of me.  I'm sensitive.  And if I cry then I probably won't feel like cooking and then this blog fails.

Capisce?

I have a dream to run a business.  I'm not sure what yet, but in the back of my mind I've always had this feeling that I will do SOMETHING.  I know it will involve food.  I'm just not sure in what capacity.  Lately, I have strongly been considering a food prep business.  Organizing freezer swap parties, cooking for friends and family to help stock their freezer with meals, or taking orders for anyone that needs help getting a hearty, healthy meal on the table for their family.  I would provide a list of meals to them, they'd chose what they'd like, whether I make it for them or whether they'd like to invite their friends over to make a day of it.  We'll see....it's a work in progress.

I dream that we as a family will become debt free.  {I wonder if most people even know that is possible?}  Since this past November we have been following the Dave Ramsey program.  It was hard at first, but now it's just a part of our lives.  Since then we have paid off close to $7,000 in debt.  That is a great feeling {and quite a bit for a husband who works in civil service and me just working part-time}.  We have found there is no reason why you cannot pay cash for EVERYTHING.  In fact, I will probably have to be on my death bed to ever take out another loan again.  I'm serious.  And those darn student loans - aren't they the death of all of us? 

And to be a bit frivolous, we'd love to someday own land, have a pond, a big garden and a log cabin.  Oh, and working on this blog, raising my kids and having fun at the cabin would be my full-time job.

Hey, a girl can dream.




I apologize if you tuned in for this monster cookie recipe and I'm now just FINALLY getting to it.  I will delay no longer.

Enjoy.

Out-of-this-World MONSTER Cookies
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 stick of butter, softened
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. oatmeal
1 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. peanut M&M's

In a stand mixer or hand-held mixer combine the peanut butter, sugars and butter until fluffy.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  Then oatmeal, flour and baking soda.  Fold in chocolate chips and M&M's.  Place the dough in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out a large ball of dough and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Add a few more M&M's onto of the dough {to make them look pretty!}.  Bake for 11-12 minutes or just until golden around the edges.  Do not over bake.  Cool on a wire rack.

----------------------------------------------

Okay, be brave folks.

Tell me your "dream" in the comments.  I'd really like to not be the only one airing my fears out for the world to hear.

Would you like to comment?

  1. Steph@Been There Baked ThatJune 17, 2013 at 7:32 AM

    Wow Ally, that is so inspiring! We were not very smart during our first couple years of living together and relied on credit cards too much, so we're still trying to pay them off completely...along with student loans of course. I've always heard great things about Dave Ramsey's program, we might seriously need to start that. I would love nothing more than to be debt free! I thought for the past several years I really wanted to open a bakery, and until Josh lost his job we thought that might be an actual reality in the next couple of years when I returned to work outside the home. But now I'm not so sure that's the route I want to take, it's so much work for me even now doing cakes from home with young kids. My family always comes first and I don't want to miss out on any time with them. So I know I'd love to do something with food but just not sure what.
    Oh and my own cooking show on Food Network wouldn't be bad either :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your dreams Ally! Our dream is to retire to a lake house, where we can fish. I too would like to do something with food - I've always told my husband that I would like to be a baker (waking up at 3 a.m. to bake bread!) or to own a food truck.


    But, seeing how my job provides health insurance, don't think that's going to happen any time soon.


    But now I really want a peanut M&M!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So Ramsey's philosophy says you can only use cash?? I'm trying to think about that.....yikes, difficult, but to save $7000 I'm SURE it's worth it!! I only use my debit card, NEVER a credit card (only to buy things like our heater and AC, which was something we had not choice but to buy). I'd also like to be debt free and retire by age 65. That's in the perfect world. We'll see.

    ReplyDelete
  4. No...he doesn't say only use cash. He is a big believer in debit cards, as they are basically like cash:) What he is a believer in is only buying items if you have the cash for them (in actual bills or in your checking account). So basically just living within your means. Great job on the goal of being debt free and retiring by 65! I think all people would love to be able to do that!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca)June 18, 2013 at 10:49 PM

    This is a tough question because my dreams have changed so much over the past while ... I think my dream is to complete a PhD, and to just be happy. I'd love to write a book someday - perhaps a novel for teens, or maybe a health related, non-fiction book.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We're doing Dave Ramsey (Christmas gift given to myself and my 6 siblings by our parents); we're getting out of debt slowly but surely & 2 of my siblings (who started sooner only have their mortgage now). It works!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a great gift! Good luck! Since this post we are up to around 10,000 we've paid off in debt in just 7 months. It's crazy just typing that phrase! It hasn't been easy, but I'm so happy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Those dreams are awesome and so attainable! I would be one to use the meals for sure. We never have or make time to cook with sports seasons always going from one to the next. I have always wanted to try Dave Ramsey’s program, even looked into it once. Maybe someday. I would say my dream is to someday pay off all my student loans and to travel. Just keep chipping away at it so hopefully someday.

    ReplyDelete