Saturday, October 30, 2010

Great Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Recipe

(picture courtesy of Mommy's blog)

I found this recipe over at Mommy's Kitchen blog (found under favorite blogs), who found it in an old Rachel Ray cookbook and given by a woman named Janet (a longer history of the coffee cake can be found on the Mommy's Kitchen blog). I decided to bake it up for my boys this morning and "Yummo!" as Rachel Ray would say. Even my Husband who isn't the biggest chocolate fan in the world likes this recipe!




Janet's Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake


2 - cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 - tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 - tsp cinnamon

1 - stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 - cup sour cream

1 - tsp vanilla extract

1 - cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 Grease a 8 inch square baking pan. If you feel like there is to much batter you can use a bigger baking pan. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon set aside. Using a electric mix beat together the remaining 1 cup sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture in two parts until just combined.Pour half the batter into the cake pan and sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture and half of the chocolate chips. Spoon the remaining batter as evenly as possible over the filling. Spread gently and evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon mixture and chocolate chips. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean 30 - 35 minutes. Baking time varies when using a 8 x 8 inch baking pan sometimes the middle can take a bit longer to bake.


My take: I found I actually had to bake it for 45 minutes to get the middle cooked.

Possible additions: I'm thinking it would be great with 1/2 c. chocolate chips and 1/2 c. butterscotch chips. I'll have to try that next time!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

A busy Fall...

It has been a wild and crazy fall in our household this year...
This family has been going in a dozen directions this fall. Everyone has their thing to do and most nights sees 1 or all of us out doing something, so here's a general run down...

Dad...works, and runs our Oldest to Scout weekend camping trips, baseball practice and games.

Mom...has started working as a Substitute teacher. I've had several jobs all over the district and found that I like subbing in the library and for Pre-K. The money is going to be a nice addition to our X-mas money. I've also been walking (about 5x a week), attending weekly luncheons with my MOMS group, X-mas shopping with my Mother, a weekend camping with the family and the subsequent laundry. Then there's been the mass clean-out and re-arranging of the boys' bedroom and the dining room (which has been used as a store all for the last year), and helping our Cub Scout pack organize and recruit a leader for this year's Tiger den. On a high note, I have lost 20+ pounds and am feeling highly motivated!

Oldest son...as busy or busier than the rest of us. School all week, debate club twice a week for 2 hrs. each, extra practice with the band teacher once a week for CODA coming up in November (state honor band), baseball practice on Saturdays, baseball games on Monday and Wednesdays (sometimes those are double headers), and Scout camping trips or merit badge fairs on the weekends.

Youngest son...not so much out of school, but in school he's mastered his ABCs and their sounds, he's begun learning numbers up to 100, colors, sight words, money, and before long he will be reading and writing! And all of this in the first 9 weeks of Kindergarten!

Coming up in the next couple of weeks...baseball is over tonight!!!! No more practice, no more games! I'm no longer needed as a Tiger leader, so Pack responsibilities have been reduced to once a month. My Oldest can start attending Scout meetings again, and after his Scoutmaster Conference and Board of Revue, he should have his 2nd class badge earned. Extra practice for CODA will be over in 2 weeks. The garage still needs it's mass clean out and the bathroom needs to be finished. Camping trips are monthly for my Husband and Oldest and school is still the boys' #1 responsibility. I hate working, but love the money...

So all in all a typical family life!


Sunday, October 10, 2010

Menu Plan Monday: Oct. 11-17

Menu Plan Monday
October 11-17, 2010


Monday: Clam Linguine w/Peas & Mushrooms, Garlic Breadsticks


Tuesday: Mushroom & Swiss Sliders w/Spicy Fry Sauce & Onion Strings


Wednesday: Frozen Pizza & Salad


Thursday: Tomato Vinaigrette Chicken w/Parmesan Noodles & Peas


Friday: Chili-Rubbed Tilapia w/Couscous & Cheesy Broccoli


Saturday: Apple Glazed Pork Chops w/Stuffing, Applesauce & Rice Pilaf


Sunday: Ham & Cheddar Loaf w/Potato Cakes & Green Beans










Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Family Camping Weekend

The 1st weekend in October found us at the Wichita Wildlife Refuge on our first official "family" campout. We've been camping plenty of times as a family, but it has always been with a Cub Scout Pack or Boy Scout Troop...this was the 1st campout that just the 4 of us went on together.

Saturday morning: Gameboys in hand, Dad waking up...weather was beautiful...nice during the day and chilly (cuddle under the sleeping bags!) at night. My husband and I both had a restless night, between the elk bugling all night and some wild pigs snuffling through the underbrush behind the tent...but the boys slept like bricks.

Pancakes and sausage and coffee and hot chocolate...cooked on the campstove (which my 12 yr old Boy Scout had to light for me!)

My husband preparing the fire...for lunch...4 hours away...I think he just wanted to play with the fire!

Wrap some sausage in a pancake and my Oldest is happy!

My Youngest prefers syrup on his pancakes...
Sunday Afternoon:
I got out and played catch with my Oldest and a small football...he's nicknamed me "the cedar tree", because I was rooted to one spot and wouldn't chase after the ball!

See the radio in the tree? We went camping during the OU/TX game...that requires a crank radio in the trees so we could listen to the game...WE WON! YEAH! I didn't get a picture of him walking the radio around the camp every time the station went staticy. My husband didn't want to miss a minute of the game.

Hanging around camp listening to the game.

Playing Peek-a-boo with the tent fly...
Saturday evening:

It was chilly...the campfire was beautiful and warm!

My Heathens were dancing around the fire.


Beautiful! And HOT!

The one question my Youngest kept asking all week was "Are we going to have s'mores?", at camp the question was "When are we going to have s'mores?" So here he is enjoying his s'mores!

My Oldest too!
Sunday Morning:

Mt. Scott...the plains version of a mountain! It was windy and cold, but the boys enjoyed the view.

Look at the lake down below.

Boys had to get down and climb on some rocks...
It was a great weekend...very quiet and very relaxing.